All posts tagged: @NG26K

Ships attacked as Trump extends Iran ceasefire

Ships attacked as Trump extends Iran ceasefire

Published by Sam Flores

In this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy | Getty Images Iran’s navy on Wednesday said it had seized two container ships in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, shortly after the U.S. extended the ceasefire and as diplomats seek to bring the countries together for peace talks. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said in a statement that it had seized the ships for what it claimed were maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian shores, according to state media. CNBC could not independently verify the claim. The announcement came after U.K. maritime authorities said two ships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported a third vessel had also been targeted by the country’s military. Read more U.S.-Iran war news International benchmark Brent crude futures with June delivery traded 0.5% …

Did Trump prepare for Strait of Hormuz Closure?

Did Trump prepare for Strait of Hormuz Closure?

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) speaks to reporters after a roundtable on rising energy costs on Capitol Hill on March 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images The top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is probing whether the Trump administration adequately planned for the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has roiled energy markets for weeks as the war with Iran drags on. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in a letter dated Tuesday to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, shared exclusively with CNBC, demanded answers to a series of questions about how the administration prepared for the closure of the strait ahead of launching the war with Iran. The Islamic Republic has effectively closed the strait since the beginning of the conflict. “I am deeply concerned that the President’s decision to wage a reckless war on Iran will wreak havoc on energy markets for the foreseeable future — driving up energy costs for Americans across the country and causing global economic turmoil,” Heinrich said in the letter. “The …

Russia offers China energy lifeline as Iran war strangles supply

Russia offers China energy lifeline as Iran war strangles supply

Published by Sam Flores

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a reception, held on Victory Day marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025. Mikhail Metzel | Via Reuters Russia has offered to help China with any potential energy shortfall, as the war in the Middle East heightens geopolitical divisions and threatens global commodity supplies. “Russia can certainly fill the resource gap that has arisen in China and other countries interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday, according to comments reported by Russian news agency Interfax. Russia’s top diplomat also commented on China and Russia’s ability to withstand the economic impact of “aggressive” U.S military operations against Iran, which have sent global oil and gas prices soaring. “Thank God, we and China have all the capabilities, both those already in use and those in reserve, and those planned, to avoid being dependent on this kind of …

Trump’s Hormuz blockade tests U.S. ties with China and India

Trump’s Hormuz blockade tests U.S. ties with China and India

Published by Sam Flores

The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is adding strain to Washington’s relations with China and India, as Beijing hardens its rhetoric and New Delhi faces rising energy risks. Getty The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is not only squeezing Iran but also ratcheting up pressure on two of its most consequential relationships in Asia — India and China. With roughly 98% of Iranian oil exports bound for China, and a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping weeks away, Washington’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran risks destabilizing the fragile detente that the administration has carefully cultivated with Beijing. India, with its complicated ties with the U.S., is increasingly finding U.S. policy at odds with its economic interests — most acutely in the energy shock now rippling through its economy. Trump is scheduled to visit China in mid-May, and the administration signaled repeatedly in recent weeks that it wants the bilateral relationship stable enough to keep the high-stakes meeting on track. “The Iran conflict, particularly the blockade, may upend …

Britain to call for toll-free Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran ceasefire

Britain to call for toll-free Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran ceasefire

Published by Sam Flores

Yvette Cooper, UK foreign secretary, delivers the opening remarks as she chairs a virtual meeting to discuss the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, in London, UK, on Thursday, April 2, 2026. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.K. Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper is expected to call for unhindered access through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, countering a push by Iran to control one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. In an annual foreign policy speech, Cooper is expected to say shipping must be toll-free through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been blocked by Iran since the start of the war. “The fundamental freedoms of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to individual bidders. Nor can there be any place for tolls on an international waterway,” Cooper will say at Mansion House in London later this evening, according to advance extracts of her speech. Iran has said it wants to charge ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with the Financial Times reporting on Wednesday that …

Trump-Iran agree to two-week ceasefire, plan to open Strait of Hormuz

Trump-Iran agree to two-week ceasefire, plan to open Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks, backing off his shocking threats to imminently order the destruction of Iran’s “whole civilization.” The move, more than five weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched the war, was “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote on Truth Social. The decision was “based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan,” Trump wrote. “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” he declared. Oil prices plunged as much as 16% following the announcement, while U.S. stock futures shot up. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a separate statement that ships will be able to safely pass through the strait for the two-week interval “via …

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Pakistan seeks 2-week Iran pause after Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’

Published by Sam Flores

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday asked President Donald Trump for a two-week extension of his threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran unless Tehran strikes a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Update: Trump suspends Iran attack for two weeks, subject to Hormuz Strait opening Sharif in an X post also asked Iran’s leadership to agree to open up the strait for two weeks “as a goodwill gesture.” “We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” Sharif wrote. The public plea from the leader of Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator between the warring powers, came hours before Trump’s 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to either cut a deal or face massive strikes on its civilian infrastructure — which could be considered a war crime. On Tuesday morning, Trump dramatically ramped up his threats, warning on Truth Social that “a whole …

U.S., Iran weigh peace plan as Trump’s ‘hell’ warning nears deadline

U.S., Iran weigh peace plan as Trump’s ‘hell’ warning nears deadline

Published by Sam Flores

Smoke rises after explosions struck the northeastern, western, and central areas amid Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran on April 1, 2026. Tolga Akbaba | Anadolu | Getty Images With ⁠a U.S. deadline approaching, the United States and Iran received the framework of a plan to end their five-week-old conflict, though Tehran rejected any immediate move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has threatened to rain “hell” ​on Tehran if it did not make a deal ​by the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic ​to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies. The Pakistani-brokered plan emerged from intense overnight contacts and proposes an immediate ceasefire, followed by negotiations on a broader settlement to be concluded within 15 to 20 days, a source aware of the proposals said on Monday. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was in contact “all night long” with U.S. Vice President ⁠JD Vance, special ‌envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the source said. Iran won’t reopen the Strait ⁠as part …

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Trump threatens Iran’s infrastructure as reports emerge of downed U.S. F-35

Published by Sam Flores

Significant sections of the B1 Bridge are seen destroyed after an airstrike attributed to the United States and Israel targeted the site near Tehran, in Karaj, Iran, on April 03, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, saying the “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” in a Truth Social post. Trump did not elaborate on what needed to be “done,” but said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran.” Hours later, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reportedly claimed that a U.S. F-35 fighter jet was shot down over central Iran. Images of debris posted on Telegram included a photo that appeared to show the words “U.S. Air Forces in Europe” on what looked like a plane’s tail section. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, and Iranian authorities did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Read more U.S.-Iran war news Trump’s latest threat …

Iran and Oman drafting protocol to ‘monitor’ Hormuz Strait traffic: IRNA

Iran and Oman drafting protocol to ‘monitor’ Hormuz Strait traffic: IRNA

Published by Sam Flores

Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Thursday morning, citing an official. Tanker traffic through the key oil-shipping route “should be supervised and coordinated” with the two countries, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister of legal and international affairs, according to a translation of IRNA’s report. “Of course, these requirements will not mean restrictions, but rather to facilitate and ensure safe passage and provide better services to ships that pass through this route,” Gharibabadi reportedly said. U.S. stock indexes, which were trading sharply lower Thursday morning after President Donald Trump signaled that the Iran war will continue for weeks to come, suddenly turned higher following IRNA’s report. Oil prices, which likewise had surged overnight, eased from their highs of the day on the Oman news, which offered hope that the Strait of Hormuz may be able to reopen in some capacity without requiring military force. The strait, a vital artery for much of the world’s oil transit, has been effectively …