Iran's military reimposed control over the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, declaring the waterway under 'strict management' of its armed forces hours after reopening it following a Lebanon ceasefire agreement. The reversal came with more than a dozen commercial ships mid-transit, several of which turned back after the announcement while others hugged Iranian territorial waters and broadcast Indian or Chinese identities in apparent bids for safe passage. The rapid oscillation undermined Trump's Friday claim that a peace deal ending the US-Israeli war on Iran was 'very close.' Tehran's trigger was explicit: the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Washington launched alongside the February 28 military campaign, remained active despite the ceasefire. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei both warned the blockade constituted a ceasefire violation. Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, confirmed the blockade would remain regardless of whether the ceasefire extends past Wednesday, and threatened resumed airstrikes if no long-term deal is concluded. Core gaps persist: Iran refuses to transfer its enriched uranium stockpile to the US, contradicting Trump's stated terms, and Tehran's proposed tolls on Hormuz shipping are off the table per Washington. The strait normally carries roughly a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, making its status a direct variable in energy markets.
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.
