President Trump has ordered the US Navy to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to 'finish' Iran following the collapse of nuclear talks held in Pakistan. Trump warned that US forces are 'locked and loaded' and vowed to destroy Iranian mines in the waterway, sharply escalating the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil chokepoint, through which roughly 20% of global oil supply transits daily. A physical blockade or sustained military confrontation there would immediately constrain supply flows, triggering acute pressure on crude prices and energy-dependent supply chains globally. The failed Pakistan talks remove the nearest diplomatic offramp, narrowing the space for de-escalation. Markets will be watching for Iranian counter-moves, any disruption to tanker traffic, and whether Gulf state partners signal alignment with or distance from the US position. The threat to destroy Iranian mines signals a potential first kinetic step, distinct from a negotiated freeze or sanctions tightening.
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
