War News

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war that had been raised a day earlier.The U.S. blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz would "remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Both sides must take their time and get it right," he added.There was no immediate response from Iran's government.

Captain Chris Welch of Kennebunk, Maine, is catching fewer lobsters this spring because spiking diesel prices have made it too costly to take out his fishing boat as often as he normally would.Instead of checking and re-baiting his traps every four or five days to collect the valuable crustaceans, he's doing so every seven to 10 days to conserve fuel."It cuts into your profitability at the end of the day," Welch said after fueling his vessel, Quality Time, on a rainy day at Kennebunk's harbor.

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has already cost companies around the world at least $25 billion - and the bill is climbing, according to a Reuters analysis.A review of corporate statements since the start of the conflict by companies listed in the United States, Europe and Asia offers a sobering look at the fallout. Businesses are grappling with soaring energy prices, fractured supply chains and trade routes severed by Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.At least 279 companies have cited the war as a trigger for defensive actions to blunt the financial hit…

Supertanker Agios Fanourios I is heading for Vietnam to discharge its Iraqi crude oil cargo after it was held by the U.S. Navy for five days in the Gulf of Oman, shipping data on LSEG showed.The Maltese-flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz on May 10 and was sailing in the Gulf of Oman before making a U-turn on May 11. It resumed its journey toward Vietnam on May 16 and is expected to arrive at the Nghi Son refinery on May 30, LSEG data showed.The U.S.

Senior U.S. and Chinese officials agree that no country can be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure Iran to give up control of the vital waterway.The statement by the State Department comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, where Iran's chokehold on the strait will be on the agenda.Iran's near-complete closure of the vital trade artery ‌since the joint Israeli-U.S.

Two more tankers laden with crude exited the Strait of Hormuz last week with trackers switched off to avoid Iranian attacks, Kpler shipping data showed, underscoring a rising trend to sustain Middle East oil exports.The very large crude carrier (VLCC) Basrah Energy loaded 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC's) Zirku terminal on May 1 and exited the Strait of Hormuz on May 6, the data showed on Monday.The Panama-flagged vessel offloaded its cargo at the Fujairah Oil Tanker Terminals on May 8…

The U.S. military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday, targeting sites it said were responsible for attacking U.S. forces in what it called unprovoked hostilities by Tehran.Earlier, Iran's top joint military command said the U.S. had violated a ceasefire by targeting an Iranian oil tanker and another ship entering the Strait of Hormuz, and by striking civilian areas."U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S.

U.S. forces operating in the Gulf of Oman enforced blockade measures by disabling an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port at 9 a.m. ET, May 6.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces observed M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran."We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom ... will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump wrote on social media.There was no immediate reaction from Tehran, where it was very early on Wednesday morning.Only hours earlier, U.S.

The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 28.U.S.

Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks on targets across Russia on Sunday, hitting the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and setting it on fire, and striking a number of vessels, as it steps up attacks on energy infrastructure and other targets.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strikes had caused significant damage to the oil terminal port. They also hit an oil tanker, a small Russian Karakurt-class missile ship and a patrol boat in the Baltic Sea, he said on Telegram."Each such result further limits Russia’s war potential…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States would begin an effort to free up ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning.Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site, gave few details about the operation, including whether the U.S. Navy would be involved. He described the effort as a "humanitarian gesture" meant only to aid neutral countries that were not involved in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran."For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States…

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called on all member states to support efforts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20,000 seafarers remain trapped and unable to leave.In an informal briefing to member states and industry representatives, Dominguez confirmed that several vessels had been seized and detained in the region over the past few days. He urged maximum caution, considering potential mines present throughout the Strait and threat of further attacks on ships. “My call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,” he said.

U.S. Central Command said it intercepted a merchant vessel trying to get through the blockade of Iran on Saturday.The ship, identified as the Sevan, was part of a 19-vessel "shadow fleet" transporting Iranian oil and gas products to foreign markets, the U.S. military said.Central Command said it was intercepted in the Arabian Sea by a U.S. Navy helicopter from the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney and was "currently complying with U.S. military direction to turn back to Iran under escort."The “shadow fleet” vessels have been sanctioned by the U.S.

BIMCO’s Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer, warns of a potential scam from parties claiming to be Iranian authorities and demanding toll:“BIMCO has received reports of an email scam, but we are still awaiting confirmation that this was in fact a scam. The fact that ships were attacked following apparent Iranian approval to transit underscores the complexity and volatility of the current security situation.”Iran is blockading the Strait of Hormuz against what they perceive as hostile ships.

The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's trade by sea while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran…

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat.

TUI Cruises said on Sunday that its Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.In a statement posted on its website, the company said it had obtained approvals from relevant authorities, under careful consideration of the security situation.It said the ships would now proceed swiftly to the Mediterranean Sea.The cruise operator said that all passengers had previously been brought home and both ships were operating with reduced crews.

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports…

Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the United States, providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran said.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has resulted in the largest-ever disruption of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran's interruption of traffic through the strait, which handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows.Hundreds of tankers ‌and other ships and 20…

The U.S. military on Monday detailed the boundaries of its Strait of Hormuz blockade, saying it would extend east to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, while ship-tracking data showed two ships turned around in the strait as the blockade went into effect.In a note to seafarers about the blockade that seeks to take control of the strait away from Iran, the U.S. Central Command said: "Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after marathon talks with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire.The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.It would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday about the need for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," following a U.S. ceasefire with Iran, Downing Street said.Starmer discussed with Trump the UK's efforts to convene partners to agree to a "viable plan" on restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway."They agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the Strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution…