External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz 'completely unacceptable,' urging safe and unimpeded maritime transit as tensions in the waterway escalate. His remarks frame freedom of navigation as a prerequisite for global economic stability, not merely a bilateral concern. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil chokepoint, through which roughly 20 percent of global petroleum supply transits daily. Any sustained disruption raises energy costs across import-dependent economies, with Asia, India included, carrying disproportionate exposure. Jaishankar specifically warned that global growth cannot proceed if energy markets are 'constricted,' signaling New Delhi's intent to keep diplomatic pressure on parties threatening commercial shipping. India has strategic and economic incentives to maintain open sea lanes: it relies heavily on Gulf energy imports and has a large diaspora workforce in the region. The immediate variable to track is whether India translates this diplomatic posture into coordinated naval or multilateral action to protect commercial vessels transiting the strait.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
