The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a network of companies, ships and individuals tied to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, an Iranian oil trader whose business empire has become a major conduit for Iran’s sanctioned petroleum exports.
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 15 (ANI): The 'Islamabad Peace Process' may have paused the missiles, but for Pakistan's economy, the war of attrition has moved to the high seas. Following the collapse of direct US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad last week, a U. S.
Hardline voices in Tehran are escalating rhetoric around the Strait of Hormuz, calling for transit fees on ships even as a US blockade challenges Iran’s control over the strategic waterway.
US claims no vessels moved through under Hormuz blockade US Central Command said no ships have entered or exited Iranian ports in the 48 hours since it began enforcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. It added that nine vessels complied with orders from US forces to turn back. The statement contradicts earlier reports by Iran’s Fars news agency, which said a sanctioned supertanker had passed through the strait towards Imam Khomeini Port.
The U. S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz appeared to be working on Wednesday, as marine trackers reported no Iran-linked ships entering or exiting the strait since the blockade began on Monday.
More than a dozen U. S. Navy warships are enforcing a blockade on all vessels from all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran.
IMF chief hopes US-Iran ceasefire leads to durable peace The International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday that she hopes that the ceasefire between the US and Iran will lead to a durable peace. Briefing the press during the IMF/ World Bank spring meetings in Washington, Georgieva said the focus of this week's meetings was on how the Fund could best support countries struggling with the energy shock in the wake of the war. The IMF is concerned about the physical breakdown of supply chains as a result of the war on Iran, Reuters reported Georgieva as saying.
Tehran [Iran], April 15 (ANI): A sanctioned Iranian supertanker has reportedly transited the Strait of Hormuz, navigating towards Iran's Imam Khomeini Port despite an active US blockade, according to claims by Iran's Fars News Agency on Wednesday. The vessel, identified as a Very Large Crude Carrier, is said to possess the capacity to transport 'two million barrels of crude.
Trump says he asked China's Xi not to give Iran weapons US President Donald Trump has told Fox Business Network that he wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping in which he asked Xi not to give Iran weapons. Xi responded by saying that China was not supplying Iran, Trump said. “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he's not doing that,” Trump said in the interview, which was recorded on Tuesday.
Moscow can replace Tehrans crude supplies to China, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia can plug any oil supply gap triggered by the Middle East conflict and help China and other countries withstand US "aggressive adventures," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, signaling Moscow is ready to offset shortages if Iranian exports are squeezed.
By Ayushi Agarwal New Delhi [India], April 15 (ANI): Calling for strict adherence to international law and freedom of navigation, Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, has voiced strong concern over the ongoing West Asia crisis, warning against blockades and unilateral tolls that could disrupt global trade routes, refering to the power struggle between Iran and US over the Strait of Hormuz.
New Delhi [India], April 15 (ANI): Crude oil prices have risen sharply due to the ongoing West Asia conflict and are not expected to return to the earlier level of $65 per barrel in the near term, according to a report by brokerage firm Prabhudas Lilladher. The report noted that the increase in prices is likely to persist, keeping India's import bill elevated for the coming months.
South Korea secures 270 million barrels of oil from suppliers unaffected by Hormuz blockade South Korea has secured supplies of more than 270 million barrels of crude oil via routes unaffected by the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official said on Wednesday. "I hereby report to the nation that visits to four countries have secured the import of 273 million barrels of crude oil by the end of this year," Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, said. The amount is sufficient for more than three months of South Korea's oil needs, Kang said after he returned from a trip to Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Washington, DC [US], April 15 (ANI): White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller on Tuesday (local time) said that the US blockade of Iran's ports represents a decisive shift in global power dynamics, asserting that Tehran risks becoming a 'footnote' if it fails to change course and make a deal with Washington.
Malda (West Bengal) [India], April 15 (ANI): The growing makhana (fox nut) industry in West Bengal's Malda district has suffered a significant setback amid the ongoing West Asia conflict involving Israel, the US, and Iran, which has disrupted exports to key Middle Eastern markets.
The American military says the blockade of the vital shipping route has been fully implemented The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said American warships have effectively blocked Iranian trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
US military boasts blockade of the strait of Hormuz will incapacitate Iran’s economy; Trump says negotiations could return to Pakistan US-Iran peace talks could resume in next two days, Trump says Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. The US military has said American forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea through a blockade. An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea.
Lavrov offers Russia energy to China amid US blockade Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow could help offset energy shortages in China as the US blockade on Iranian ports disrupts supply. Speaking after meeting President Xi Jinping, Lavrov said Russia could “make up for the resource deficit” for China and other countries willing to cooperate “in a fair and mutually beneficial manner”. Lavrov said ties between Russia and China “remain unshakeable in the face of all storms”, adding that relations between President Vladimir Putin and Xi contribute to stability despite global disruptions.
Washington DC [US], April 15 (ANI): The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that a full blockade of Iran's ports has been successfully implemented, with US forces asserting maritime dominance across key regional waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.
US Navy forces eight Iran-linked tankers to turn back US naval forces have forced eight oil tankers linked to Iran to turn back since Monday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing officials. The report said that the US ships contacted vessel crews via radio and instructed them to reverse course as part of efforts to restrict maritime traffic connected to Iranian ports. All of the tankers complied with the orders and no boardings were required, the report said.
