President Trump has said the US naval blockade on Iran's ports will stay in place until Iran agrees to a nuclear deal. The blockade is designed as economic pressure, cutting off Iran's ability to export goods, most critically oil, and limiting imports. Trump made the statement as Democrats in Congress pressed Pentagon leaders with sharp questions about the administration's military posture and the risks of the standoff escalating into open conflict. The exchanges reflected growing unease on Capitol Hill about how far the pressure campaign could go and whether there is a clear diplomatic off-ramp. Iran has not publicly agreed to new nuclear talks, and the blockade's staying power depends on how long Tehran can absorb the economic squeeze. Watch for whether back-channel negotiations emerge, how oil markets respond to sustained Iranian export disruption, and whether allied nations push back on the blockade's reach.
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
