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Persian Gulf
Projectiles struck a ship in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, the British military said Monday, the second such attack in hours as tensions remain high between Iran and the United States. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center issued the alert, saying a tanker had been targeted off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, in the strait around 11:40 pm Sunday. It described the tanker has been struck by "unknown projectiles." "All crew reported safe," the centre said. "No environmental impact reported." Another ship came under attack in the strait on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump said the US Navy will start guiding foreign stranded ships to safety through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday and warned Iran that any interference in the process would be dealt with forcefully. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said 'Project Freedom' was aimed at helping foreign ships that are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz as "innocent bystanders" and in no way involved in the developments in West Asia. Trump said several of these ships were running low on food, drinking water and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay onboard in a healthy and sanitary manner. At the same time, the US President said that his representatives were having positive discussions with Iran, which could lead to something "positive for all". The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea route between Oman and Iran that transports one-fifth of the global oil supplies, has been effectively closed since February 28, when the US and Israel launched the war with Iran. The U
After US President Donald Trump and Iran's foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to commercial vessels after almost seven weeks of war, oil prices plunged 10 per cent and the stock market rallied Friday. Motorists, hoping for relief at the pump, wondered how quickly gasoline prices might fall once oil tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf were moving again. A gallon of regular gasoline cost USD 4.08 on average in the US Friday, which was 37 per cent more than before US and Israel attacked Iran but down a few cents from a week ago. But when gas prices spike, they do not typically drop as quickly as the cost of crude. Even if Iran keeps the waterway open in the face of a US blockade of its vessels, it still could take months for fuel prices to return to levels resembling those enjoyed before the war began February 28, energy experts said. The slow speed at which oil tankers travel from ports to refineries, lingering security concerns, traffic in the strait and damage t
President Donald Trump has expressed confidence ahead of talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict, expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with Vice President J D Vance leading the US delegation. "I wished him luck. He's got a big thing," Trump said in his parting message to Vance before he began his journey to lead the president's delegation for the critical talks. "We'll find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated." Trump, who spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to head to a Friday evening fundraiser in Charlottesville, Virginia, also reiterated his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened up. "And now we're going to open up the Gulf with or without them," Trump said, referring to the Iranians, who have effectively shuttered the critical waterway. "But that'll be open," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed on Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties caused by the war in the Middle East. Their summit in Seoul came as US President Donald Trump slammed allies for not supporting the US and Israeli war against Iran. Macron was making his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017 as part of an Asian tour that already has taken him to Japan. Macron told Lee at the start of the meeting that the two countries can play a role in helping to stabilise the situation in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean media. At a joint televised briefing afterwards, Macron underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and de-escalate Middle East animosities, while Lee said the two affirmed "their resolve to cooperate to secure the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz." The tw
US President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days "out of a sign of respect." "I would only say that we're doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up," Trump told reporters Sunday night board Air Force One as he flew to Washington. Trump was asked if Iran had responded to the 15-point ceasefire plan the US has proposed and he said, they did and added, "They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn't they?" But Trump didn't offer details when asked about Iran, by his telling, appearing to make major concessions. "They're agreeing with us on the plan," Trump said. He also said Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei "may be alive but he's obviously, very seriously in trouble. He's seriously wounded.
An Iranian envoy says Tehran will "facilitate and expedite" humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz. Ali Bahreini, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Friday that Tehran has accepted a request from the world body to allow the safe passage of humanitarian aid and agriculture shipments through the critical waterway. "This measure reflects Iran's continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay," Bahreini said in a post on X. The statement comes hours after the UN announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on the passage of aid.
Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities hours after threatening to "escalate and expand" its campaign against Tehran on Friday. Iran vowed to retaliate and struck a base in Saudi Arabia, wounding US service members and damaging planes. A month into the war, however, there appeared to be a breakthrough as Tehran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, accepting a request from the UN. Ali Bahreini, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Iran agreed to "facilitate and expedite" such movement, even as it endures strikes on its nuclear facilities. The vital waterway usually handles a fifth of the world's oil shipments and nearly a third of the world's fertilizer trade. While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertilizer ingredients and trade threatens farming and food security around the world. "This measure reflects Iran's continued commitme
Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important artery for oil shipments. The move could cement Tehran's de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability to keep its own oil flowing to China. Iranian communications to the United Nations maritime authority and the experience of ships transiting the Strait suggest the creation of something akin to a "toll booth." Ships must enter Iranian waters and be vetted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. At least two vessels have paid for passage. Traffic through the Strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the Strait. Only about 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited since March 1, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence shipping information firm. That's a little more