CNN: US President Donald Trump said no talks are underway or scheduled with Iran, just one day after saying his administration had established a back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran’s parliament speaker accused the US of trying to force more concessions from Tehran.
Strait of Hormuz: Trump posted an image showing the waterway as “New US Territory,” after Iran reiterated key demands for its reopening…
Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz
Iran, declaring the strait under its control, has attacked dozens of ships that tried to to travel the waterway via the north coast of Oman. Despite the risk, most ships have recently chosen to ignore Iran’s demands and cross the strait with the promise of protection from US naval forces.
“It increasingly looks like Iran has at least partially lost control of the strait,” said Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler…
Battered by war, Iran’s rulers wary of more economic pain and unrest if US tightens pressure
For all the bravado of Iran’s leaders after holding out in nearly six months of conflict and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route, they face mounting pressure at home that could result in nationwide unrest, according to three Iranian officials.
The officials, two political insiders, a former Iranian official and a dozen ordinary Iranians spoke to Reuters for this story on condition of anonymity, either for fear of retribution or because they are not authorised to speak to media…
Russia is shipping explosives to Iran to bolster its missile and drone arsenal in U.S. war
Russia is shipping drone components, ammunition and TNT to Iran through the Caspian Sea, helping Tehran replenish stockpiles damaged in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, according to a European government document obtained by NBC News and verified by a Western official…
Pentagon weighing smaller U.S. military presence in Gulf once Iran war ends
One of the key areas the Defense Department is assessing is whether to pull back troops from the Persian Gulf, where America’s large overseas military bases have been battered by months of Iranian strikes, two people familiar with the ongoing analysis said.
The damage to these facilities has prompted a once-in-a-generation chance for the Pentagon to reconsider its presence in the region. The Defense Department has already signaled that it might not rebuild its bases as they were before the conflict…
Trump tries a new approach in Iran war: Disengage
Yet frustrated at deadlocked attempts to reopen the channel and facing intensifying questions about the toll the unpopular war has taken on the US military, Trump is signaling he is ready to put the conflict at arm’s length…
Soaring diesel prices rip across US economy
The pump price of diesel — the lifeblood of the economy because of its essential role in powering industry and agriculture — hit $5.47 a gallon on Tuesday, approaching its all-time high of $5.82 as wars in the Middle East and Europe hobble production and throttle global supplies…
UAE suspends trade with Iran after saying it fired missiles at Gulf state
The defence ministry said assessments showed the missiles had been targeting maritime traffic but also stated one weapon fell into the sea outside the UAE’s territorial waters while another fell within…