President Trump has called off a planned diplomatic trip by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan, where they were expected to hold talks with Iran. Trump announced the cancellation himself on Truth Social, giving no stated reason for the decision. The trip had been positioned as a potential back-channel or exploratory meeting with Iranian counterparts on neutral ground in Pakistan. The abrupt cancellation removes a near-term diplomatic contact point between Washington and Tehran at a time when relations remain tense. No alternative venue or timeline for US-Iran talks has been announced. Whether the talks are paused or fully abandoned, and what prompted the pullback, are the key questions to watch.
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.
