Talks between the US and Iran hit an early impasse as Tehran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade on Iranian shipping and ending the war, while pushing nuclear programme discussions to a later date. Donald Trump signalled he was unhappy with Iran's proposal, and the two sides clashed directly over the nuclear issue. Iran's opening offer effectively tried to separate economic and military concessions from the nuclear question, a sequencing the US appears unwilling to accept. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil exports, so any threat to its status moves energy markets quickly. Whether the two sides can agree on what to discuss first, let alone reach a deal, will determine how this standoff develops. Watch for whether the US holds firm on linking nuclear talks to any economic concessions, and whether Iran escalates or moderates its position in the next round.
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
