President Trump has ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supply transits daily. The move follows nuclear talks with Iran in Pakistan that Trump described as going 'well,' with 'most points agreed to,' but broke down over Tehran's refusal to concede on its nuclear programme. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most strategically sensitive energy chokepoint, connecting Persian Gulf producers, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq, to global markets. A blockade would immediately threaten tanker traffic and trigger sharp repricing across crude benchmarks, shipping insurance, and regional risk assets. Energy markets, defense equities, and Gulf sovereign credit spreads are the immediate instruments to watch. The durability and enforcement mechanism of the blockade order, Iran's military response posture, and whether allied navies coordinate or distance themselves will determine whether this escalates into a sustained supply disruption or a high-stakes negotiating lever.
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.
Venezuela's twin earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, have killed at least 164 people and injured 971, interim president Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Thursday. The quakes are the country's strongest since 1900, collapsing buildings across Caracas and prompting a state of emergency, with the death toll expected to rise as
