CNN: US President Donald Trump has boasted that his war in Iran has led to a “very rational,” “very different,” and “much more reasonable” leadership in Tehran. But the elevation of six hardliners to top security positions this week suggests the Islamic Republic’s new command may be neither moderate nor inclined to compromise…
Iran Is Defying U.S. Pressure by Becoming a ‘Survival Economy’
Tehran is rationing scarce goods, limiting access to foreign currency, slashing investment and shifting more of the burden onto households while preserving strategic imports and the essential machinery of the state, analysts say. The result will be a deepening economic malaise that leads to rising poverty and dysfunction, but also more room for Iran’s leaders to stall talks with the U.S.
That leaves Trump’s strategy resting on a risky assumption that Iran will crack before Washington does. Mediators have warned their U.S. counterparts that Iran has been living under sanctions for years and betting that Tehran will compromise because of economic pressure won’t likely yield results. Instead, Iran will likely continue to escalate attacks to raise the price for Washington and its allies…
New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse
The United States and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks on shipping on Tuesday as prospects for ending the five-month-old Iran war appeared to dim, with Tehran saying the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless Washington accepts its conditions…
Panama Canal fees hit record high as El Niño and Iran war choke shipping
Daily auctions for a transit slot in August through the canal’s commonly used locks have averaged about $1.1mn so far this month, more than sixteen times the average price for the same period last year. Prices have surged since the US and Israel-led bombardment of Iran began on February 28, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz…
…Prices are rising because lower water levels are expected to limit the amount of cargo ships can carry through the canal and potentially reduce the number of passage slots later this year…
US fires on ship it says violated Iran blockade
A US Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Vela Nova, disabling the vessel’s rudder, after its civilian crew “ignored repeated warnings” from US forces, according to a statement from Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East…