President Trump warned that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports could last months, framing it as more effective than direct military strikes. The statement sent oil prices sharply higher as markets priced in the risk of prolonged supply disruption from a major crude-producing region. Iran is one of the world's top oil exporters, and a sustained blockade would restrict its ability to ship oil, cutting global supply at a time when markets are already watching inventory levels closely. Trump's preference for the blockade over bombing signals a strategic choice to apply sustained economic pressure rather than a quick military strike, which changes the risk calculus for traders. A longer-duration action means supply uncertainty could persist for weeks or months, not days. Commodity markets will watch for any diplomatic response from Iran, signals from OPEC+ members on output adjustments, and whether allied nations comply with or push back against the blockade strategy.
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
