New York Times: The U.S. military said on Sunday that it would blockade any ships “entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas,” but said it would allow other ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Trump had said the United States would fully block the economically vital waterway.
The blockade on Iranian ports would begin on Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern time, U.S. Central Command said in a statement posted on social media, adding that U.S. “forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”…
Trump Weighs Limited Strikes Against Iran After Peace Talks Collapse
That is among the options that Trump was considering Sunday, hours after negotiations collapsed in Pakistan, the officials said. Trump could also resume a full-fledged bombing campaign, though officials said that was less likely given the prospect of further destabilizing the region and the president’s aversion to prolonged military conflicts. He could also seek a more temporary blockade while he pressures allies to take responsibility for a prolonged military escort mission through the strait in the future…
Why Trump is threatening to blockade a strait that Iran is already blockading
By closing off the strait, Trump could cut off a key source of financing for Iran’s government and military operations.
It’s a lever the administration has been unwilling to pull: Blockade the strait — even to Iranian oil, and the price of oil could surge around the globe…
Iran’s Nuclear Program Has Survived, Posing Problem for U.S. Negotiators
Iran has emerged from five weeks of punishing U.S. and Israeli bombing with most of the tools it needs to make a nuclear bomb intact, officials and experts say, giving its negotiators another lever for pressing Washington to make concessions…
Iran nuclear stand-off hardens after two decades of failed deals
“A lot of these nuclear-related issues are longstanding, including the right to enrichment which has been a perennial problem, but with Trump it’s substantially harder,” said Ali Vaez, an Iran analyst at Crisis Group think-tank.
“There’s never been an effort to frame an understanding as a zero-sum outcome, and with the Iranian psyche it’s just so incompatible.”…
U.S. Threat to Blockade Hormuz Sets Up Risky New Showdown
Move sets off a high-stakes war of attrition that will test who has the higher threshold for pain—Tehran or global markets…
Trump Blockades the Blockaders in Iran
The regime says the U.S. is asking too much, but Mr. Trump is right to stick to his terms on dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. During negotiations for Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif walked out and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ran after him. This dynamic was one reason the deal allowed enrichment, sunset its restrictions, and let Iran keep the infrastructure to reach weapons-grade when the regime wanted…
Oil prices soar above $100 per barrel as hope fades of end to Iran war
Amrita Sen, founder and director of Market Intelligence at Energy Aspects, said she expected oil markets to open sharply higher on Sunday if the US followed through with a proposed blockade of the strait that would prevent Iranian oil from flowing to markets…
Oil Rallies With Gas as US Blockade of Hormuz Escalates Crisis
Global benchmark Brent rallied as much as 8.6% to above $103 a barrel, while European gas futures spiked almost 18% at one point. US forces will begin implementing the blockade, which applies only to vessels entering or departing Iranian ports, from 10 a.m. New York time Monday, the US Central Command said…
Global economic outlook darkens as policymakers count cost of Iran war
The IMF is widely expected to downgrade the outlook for the global economy in the coming week as policymakers count the mounting cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Central bankers and key economic figures from leading economies are preparing to gather in Washington this week for the twice-yearly IMF and World Bank spring meetings…
Gulf Allies Turn Away From U.S. for Fresh Ammo
Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. and Qatar cast a wider net to secure supplies, from South Korean systems to low-cost British missiles…
An Iran War Winner: China’s Green Industrial Complex
The answer for many is more solar and wind power plus electric vehicles—even if that means more dependence on a single country.
“China was already completely the dominant force,” said Euan Graham, an analyst at Ember, a clean-energy think tank. “Postcrisis, maybe the clearest winner—we would really expect to see exports from China of clean technologies going through the roof.”…
Kryptonite to America’s Economic Super Powers: Chokepoints
The U.S. brings superior size to economic warfare, but China and Iran have fought back through control of critical economic assets…
The End of the Petrostate Era Won’t Bring Peace
Two wars have already erupted in major oil-exporting regions since global leaders started committing to net-zero five years ago.
States that are energy independent may also find themselves less fearful of conflict than ones beholden to foreign suppliers. Have a look at countries that have become less reliant on energy imports in recent decades, and it’s hardly a list of pacifists:..
China, Iran weaponized the global economy to beat the U.S. at its own game
Washington once enjoyed a near monopoly over this type of economic warfare, but now American consumers and companies are starting to feel the pain…