News

Energy secretary: Strait of Hormuz not safe for shipping  NBC News

Attacks targeting commercial vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have put the blockaded waterway on the front line of the Middle East war, with spreading economic repercussions. Iran's quest to inflict maximum pain on the global economy in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes has all but shut the narrow strait through which 20 percent of global crude and LNG normally passes. US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait to step up and help take responsibility for keeping the passage open -- with American support.

The fixture, part of the Qatar Football Festival, has been cancelled amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

Iranian FM: Supreme leader 'in excellent health,' Strait of Hormuz open to all except US and its friends  The Times of Israel

Bahrain arrest five people 'suspected' of spying for Iran Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior said it arrested five people for their alleged involvement in passing “precise and sensitive information” to the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). Officials said the arrests were also for “recruiting terrorist elements” to carry out terror plots against Bahrain: "These acts were intended to undermine the state’s sovereignty, target security authorities and economic entities, spread fear and panic among citizens and residents, and risk the country’s security and safety," said a Bahraini official.

Trump’s Strait of Hormuz problem  Salon.com

Egyptian foreign minister to begin 'solidarity tour' of Gulf Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will head to Qatar on Sunday as part of a tour of the Gulf to "research regional developments" during the US-Israel war on Iran.  Abdelatty said the tour is "aimed at coordination and consultation to alleviate the accelerated developments experienced in the region and to send a message of solidarity with the Arab brothers”. During his visit to Qatar, Abdelatty is due to “hold high-level meetings to address the military escalation in the region”.

Iran tells France that its allies must refrain from escalating situation Iran's foreign minister told his French counterpart that countries must refrain from any action that could escalate the conflict in the Middle East, Abbas Araghchi said in comments posted on his Telegram account on Sunday. The remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on several countries, including France, to deploy vessels to help secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked following US-Israeli strikes on its territory. About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman.

US response to the Strait of Hormuz closure is becoming a farce  thenationalnews.com

Opinion | How deterrence fails — in the U.S. Senate and the Persian Gulf  The Washington Post

The Qatar GP, scheduled for April 10-12, has been rescheduled for November 8 amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

Iran weighs 'China-only' terms for limited reopening of Strait of Hormuz  The Federal

TEHRAN, Mar. 15 (MNA) – IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri has announced that the ban on several oil tankers carrying the Iranian oil has been lifted.

Strait of Hormuz is Only Closed to US and Israeli Ships: Iran  Open Magazine

US President Donald Trump called for other nations' warships to help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, still virtually blocked Sunday by the threat of Iranian attacks. Despite sustaining heavy bombardments since US-Israeli forces launched a war against Iran on February 28, Tehran has defied Trump's assertion that its military capability has been "100%" destroyed.

Iran warned more countries against getting involved in its war with the United States and Israel on Sunday, after President Donald Trump urged world powers to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint in the Gulf. Energy prices have soared across the world since Iran responded to the US-Israeli campaign by threatening shipping sailing though the strait, which connects major Gulf oil and gas exporters to the global market.

Middle East crisis live: Trump ‘surprised’ Iran has targeted Gulf countries and claims US ‘decimated’ Kharg Island  The Guardian

Iran has warned people to evacuate three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, including the busiest in the Middle East, as its war with the U.S. and Israel enters its third week

Trump asks allies to keep Hormuz Strait open; 15 killed in Iran’s Isfahan  Al Jazeera

Report: Trump ignored warning Iran might close Strait of Hormuz US President Donald Trump moved ahead with strikes on Iran despite warnings from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that Tehran might close the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reported.  According to the report, Trump acknowledged the possibility that Iran could shut the vital shipping route but decided to proceed because he believed Tehran would surrender before that.