President Donald Trump abruptly cut short a weekend stay at Camp David and returned to the White House on Saturday amid escalating speculation that his administration is preparing a military escalation against Iran, according to multiple news reports. The sudden travel change coincides with heightened tensions in the Middle East, surging global oil prices, and … Read more
Crude oil tankers are increasingly navigating Middle Eastern waters in stealth “dark mode” with transponders switched off, extending their cloaked journeys from hours to over a week as regional maritime security threats deteriorate, according to ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg. The tactic, once limited to brief transits through the Strait of Hormuz, has now spread … Read more
Iran’s hardline demand for a Strait of Hormuz fee system would generate close to $20 billion a year, but such astronomical tolls will not be accepted by the United States or Iran’s Gulf neighbors, according to geopolitical and energy analysts. This ongoing stalemate threatens to drag on indefinitely until Tehran eventually accepts a lesser financial … Read more