Trump Says Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Destroyed
9 March 2026 6:24 AM IST9 March 2026 6:24 AM IST
All of the wounded were Bahraini citizens and there were four "serious cases", including children, the health ministry said in a statement
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs on March 10, 2026. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes. (Photo by Ibrahim AMRO / AFP)
WASHINGTON, United States, March 10, 2026 (AFP) - US forces have destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, warning Tehran of unprecedented military consequences if it targets the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's comments came after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway, with oil prices remaining highly volatile over the virtual halt of shipping in the strait.
"I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
After several US media outlets said Iran had either started or was on the verge of mining the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he had no reports that such action had begun.
But Trump warned: "If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.
"If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!"
The United States would also use the missiles it had previously employed to blow up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters to "permanently eliminate" any mine-laying boat in the Gulf strait, Trump added.
"They will be dealt with quickly and violently."
Nearly a fifth of global oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House said earlier Tuesday that the United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the waterway, after the energy secretary's social media account posted but then deleted a claim that it did so.
Trump's administration has listed eliminating Iran's navy as a key military objective of "Operation Epic Fury", the joint US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on February 28.
US attacks on Iran will hit a new intensity Tuesday and the war will continue as long as President Donald Trump decides, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.
"Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran," Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon more than 10 days into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.
As for a timeline for the war, Trump "gets to control the throttle. He's the one deciding," Hegseth said.
"It's not for me to posit whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end," the defense secretary said.
What to know:
- The Government of India has invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to regulate the availability, supply, and equitable distribution of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas across the country. What does this mean?
- Hotels and restaurants across India are likely to stop their services in a few days as the oil distribution companies have halted supply of LPG cylinders for commercial operations following a government notification to prioritize domestic supply.
- A United States missile strike has reportedly hit an educational facility in the central Iranian city of Khomeyn, according to Al Jazeera, citing reports from Iran's Mehr News Agency. The site has been identified as the Dr Hafez Khomeyni School.
- US President Donald Trump said Monday that he will waive some sanctions on oil to boost supply and bring down prices, due to market turmoil over war in the Middle East.
-Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late supreme leader, has been named his successor, Iranian state TV announced early on Monday, as the war that began a little over a week ago with his father's killing took a dramatic turn. Read more about him here.
- India favours peace and return to dialogue and diplomacy and advocates de-escalation, restraint and ensuring safety of civilians, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday on the widening West Asia conflict.
- The U.S. military announced a seventh American service member has died of injuries sustained during an Iranian attack on troops stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Live Updates
- 11 March 2026 3:17 AM IST
Israel announces 'wave of strikes' on Iran
Israel announces 'wave of strikes' on Iran
JERUSALEM, March 10, 2026 (AFP) - Israel's military said late Tuesday that it had unleashed a new "wave of strikes" on Tehran, shortly after a round of explosions was heard in the Iranian capital."The IDF (military) has begun an additional wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime targets in Tehran," the Israeli military wrote on its official Telegram channel. - 11 March 2026 1:49 AM IST
US stocks slip as Wall Street waits for the next signal on how long war with Iran may last
US stocks slip as Wall Street waits for the next signal on how long war with Iran may last
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks eased lower as investors wait for the next signal on when the war with Iran may end. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Tuesday after giving up an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat. Oil prices pulled back from where they were in the final moments of the U.S. stock market’s trading late Monday. That was after they plunged from nearly $120 per barrel toward $90 on hopes for a quick end to the war. Stocks rose in Asia and Europe in their first chance to trade after that fall for oil prices.NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is holding steadier Tuesday as Wall Street waits for the next signal on when the war with Iran may end.The S&P 500 was down 0.1% in late trading after having been up as much as 0.7% earlier in the day. The benchmark index had reacted with wild swings a day earlier following extreme moves in the oil market . The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 42 points, or 0.1%, as of 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat.Oil prices , meanwhile, continued to fall further below where they were late Monday. Spikes there have been rocking financial markets worldwide because of worries that the war could block the global flow of oil and natural gas for a long time.The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, settled at $87.80. That’s down 11.3% from its settlement price the day before. Much of that decline happened before the U.S. stock market finished trading on Monday. That's why the drop did not give much of a boost to U.S. stocks Tuesday.A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude also closed lower, settling 11.9% below where it was late Monday, at $83.45.Oil prices plunged Monday afternoon from a high of nearly $120 per barrel , its most expensive level since 2022, after President Donald Trump told CBS News he thinks “the war is very complete, pretty much.” That raised hopes that the war may end sooner than later, which could allow oil to flow freely again from the Middle East to customers around the world.But Trump’s comments later Monday, after the U.S. stock market finished trading, were not as clear. And a spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said that “Iran will determine when the war ends.” Iran launched new attacks Tuesday at Israel and Gulf Arab countries, keeping pressure on the Middle East in a war started by Israel and the United States.That has Wall Street waiting for the next clue about how long the war may last.One point where Trump remained clear was his desire to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The war has effectively blocked much of the waterway off Iran’s coast, where a fifth of the world’s oil sails on a typical day. That's been a central reason for oil prices' extreme swings recently, which have dominated other financial markets and raised worries about the global economy.“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump said in a posting on his social media network late Monday.“The outlook for oil right now is about as binary as it gets,” according to Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at Neuberger Berman.“Either the Strait of Hormuz reopens and you see a massive unwind of the risk premium, or it stays shut and we are looking at the largest supply disruption in modern history. There is no middle ground, and that is why putting a number on it is almost irresponsible.”The International Energy Association said it will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss whether the 32 countries that are members should release some of their oil stockpiles to push downward on the price of oil.The U.S. stock market has a history of bouncing back relatively quickly from past military conflicts, as long as oil prices don’t stay too high for too long. Uncertainty about whether that may happen this time around has led to stunning swings up and down for markets worldwide, often hour-to-hour.If oil prices do stay high for long, household budgets already stretched by high inflation could break under the pressure. Companies would see their own bills jump for fuel and to stock items on their store shelves or in their data warehouses. It all raises the possibility of a worst-case scenario for the global economy, “stagflation,” where growth stagnates and inflation remains high.On Wall Street, Vertex Pharmaceuticals leaped 8% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after reporting encouraging trends from a trial for its treatment for a life-threatening kind of kidney disease.Stock markets in Asia and Europe jumped in their first chances to react to Trump’s comments from late Monday and the subsequent easing of oil prices. Indexes leaped 5.3% in South Korea, 2.2% in Hong Kong and 1.8% in France.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.9% after the government also released revised economic data showing Japan’s economy grew faster in the final quarter of last year than initially estimated.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.14% from 4.12% late Monday. - 11 March 2026 1:31 AM IST
'Put our faith in God': Tehran residents adapt to wartime
'Put our faith in God': Tehran residents adapt to wartime
PARIS, France, March 10, 2026 (AFP) - With daily attacks shaking the city, schools shuttered for days and many shops closed, Tehran residents are trying to adapt to wartime conditions under an Israeli-US assault seeking to determine the future of the Islamic republic.Normal routine has been absent for some time in the teeming mega-city of millions of people, ever since the January protests against the clerical leadership.But now Tehran and other Iranian cities have been plunged into a conflict of an intensity unseen in the country since the 1980s war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.Residents have taped up windows to prevent their homes from being damaged by flying debris from explosions. Security forces patrol the streets in armoured vehicles. Children are unable to go to school as people hunker down in their homes, relying on deliveries."People are calm," said a resident of the north of the capital, who spoke to AFP in Paris. "They are getting used to living despite everything and adapting -- as best they can -- to this situation."Uncertainty is a constant as Tehranis receive no advance warning when US-Israeli air strikes are about to hit the capital.A woman in her forties said she found some reassurance in her impression that the bombings "don't target ordinary buildings", but rather "police stations, mosques and military sites"."But imagine a police station is hit at the end of your street. All your windows shatter. That's what many people have experienced."Beyond the damage, it's "the noise of the bombings that is extremely disturbing", she added.- 'Not going very far' -In this situation, "people are staying in their neighbourhoods, they're not going very far, except for those who have to go to work", said another woman in her seventies."Generally speaking, people are helping each other a lot," she emphasised, giving the example of one family that offered accommodation to another that had lost its home.One especially visible change has been the sudden appearance of billboards with the face of Iran's new number one Mojtaba Khamenei, the hitherto low-profile son of longstanding supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike at the start of the war.Authorities encouraged people to take to the streets Monday to celebrate the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei -- who has yet to appear in public since he was given the title. Otherwise, authorities warn residents to limit movements due to the risk of bombings.Communications remain severely restricted, with only the local intranet and its homegrown apps functioning, while contact with other countries remains virtually impossible."Buses are running, but they're mostly empty," added another resident, saying that traffic consisted mainly of delivery drivers in vans and on motorcycles.Many shops and shopping centres are closed, at a time of year that normally sees intense commercial activity in the run-up to Iranian New Year Nouruz, which is celebrated in less than two weeks time.But crucially corner shops and bakeries, which are critical to everyday life in Iranian neighbourhoods and churn our hot bread daily, remain open.- 'Very stressed' -"We didn't do anything special: I just put a few documents and papers in my bag, and some cash, because the banks don't lend money for large sums," said Tehran resident Mahvash, 70, describing her emergency preparations."We've put our faith in God. For now, there's food in the shops; every day I go to buy greens and bread, that's all. We already have everything we need at home, thank God, especially since we still have running water and electricity, so we can live normally," she added.Adelshah Mansoori, an Afghan national working in a supermarket in Tehran, said he was asked to deliver goods to customers' doorsteps as they would not leave their homes."I was delivering goods from the store to homes. Most people were not in Tehran. They had left. The few who remained were very stressed," he told AFP on the border in Afghanistan after crossing to return home."They had taped up the windows of their homes but had no shelter. Everyone was inside residential buildings." - 11 March 2026 12:39 AM IST
Blasts rock Tehran as US says strikes to intensify
Blasts rock Tehran as US says strikes to intensify
TEHRAN, March 10, 2026 (AFP) - Explosions thundered out in Tehran on Tuesday after the Pentagon chief warned US strikes on Iran would reach their highest intensity since the start of the war in the Middle East.The war has been a shock to energy markets, and Iran has vowed that no crude exports would leave the Gulf if the United States and Israel kept up their bombardment.But the war has shown no sign of relenting, with AFP journalists reporting three explosions in Tehran on Tuesday evening, with no immediate information available about the intended targets.US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier told a news conference at the Pentagon that Tuesday would "be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran -- the most fighters, the most bombers".Volatile oil prices again veered sharply on Tuesday, sliding after a senior US official announced the navy had escorted a tanker through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.However, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright deleted the social media post announcing the operation moments later, and the White House subsequently said no such escort mission had taken place.Iran's Revolutionary Guards replied that no US navy vessel had "dared" approach the waterway, where a quarter of the world's seaborne oil and a fifth of all LNG pass.Iran began attacking shipping in the strait following the February 28 US-Israeli strikes that killed its supreme leader and triggered the regional conflict.The Israeli military announced a new wave of attacks on Tehran and Beirut, where AFPTV footage showed smoke rising from the southern stronghold of Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah.And Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a fresh salvo of missiles against Israeli cities and US targets in the region.- 'Catastrophic consequences' -Oil prices had surged following the Iranian attacks on shipping, strikes on oil depots in Iran and attacks on energy infrastructure in wealthy Gulf countries, previously seen as safe havens in a turbulent Middle East.The UAE's biggest oil refinery at Ruwais was closed on Tuesday as a precaution after a drone attack on the industrial complex that houses it caused a fire, a source familiar with the situation told AFP.A driver working at the complex, who requested not to be named, told AFP they saw "bursts of fire rising from the complex, with loud sounds like explosions".Qatar, where a suspension of LNG exports has sent European energy prices sky-high, said Iranian attacks on its civilian infrastructure were ongoing, with AFP journalists reporting explosions in Doha.Traders and energy policymakers are nervously following the hostilities."There would be catastrophic consequences for the world's oil markets the longer the disruption goes on, and the more drastic the consequences for the global economy," Saudi oil giant Aramco's president and CEO Amin H. Nasser told journalists."It's absolutely critical that shipping resumes in the Strait of Hormuz."The UN trade and development agency warned the Hormuz closure could increase the cost of essentials such as fuel and food for the world's most vulnerable people.In Egypt, which increased the cost of fuels by up to 30 percent, mother-of-six Om Mohamed fretted about the future."We were barely getting by as it is. I don't know how people will manage," she told AFP at a Cairo market.- Rare volatility -Tuesday's oil price slump came a day after US President Donald Trump's suggestion that the war could soon end, which steadied a spike that had neared $120 per barrel.But Iran's Revolutionary Guards mocked Trump's apparent bid to lessen the economic impact of the war."The Iranian armed forces... will not allow the export of a single litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice," a Guards spokesman said."It is we who will determine the end of the war," the Guards, seen as close to Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a separate statement carried by Iranian media.Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on X that attacks on the Islamic republic's infrastructure would be met "with the rule of 'an eye for an eye', without compromise, without exception".Experts warned the economic outlook remains extremely volatile."Rare are days in the markets when you get this much volatility," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, an analyst for Swissquote Bank, warning that investors were overreacting to every bit of news, even when officials' statements contradicted each other."The conflict in the Middle East continues at full speed, political developments are not pointing to a near-term resolution, and there is little clarity about the US plans."Iran's intelligence ministry announced that 30 people, including a foreigner whose nationality was unspecified, had been arrested for alleged spying for two Gulf countries "in the name of the American-Zionist enemy". - 11 March 2026 12:10 AM IST
Pentagon says 140 US service members have been wounded since the start of the Iran war
Pentagon says 140 US service members have been wounded since the start of the Iran war
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Pentagon says that about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the 10 days of conflict with Iran.“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. Eight U.S. service members are currently “severely injured,” Parnell added.The new figure is the first insight into the broader toll of injuries that have been sustained by U.S. troops in the wake of a barrage of retaliatory rocket and drone strikes from Iran that have also claimed the lives of seven soldiers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s attacks on regional oil infrastructure and pledges to choke off maritime traffic left markets on edge Tuesday as the United States promised blistering new strikes. The war entered its 11th day with no end in sight as its effects were felt across the region and beyond.Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as they dug in, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again promising the most intense strikes yet, while Iran's leaders ruled out talks and directly threatened U.S. President Donald Trump.Iran launched new attacks Israel and Gulf Arab countries, and Israel — America’s key ally in the fight — launched more airstrikes on Tehran and in Lebanon, where it is battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah.Death toll rises in the Gulf The United Arab Emirates reported two more deaths as nine drones struck the country, while nearly three dozen other drones and missiles were intercepted. Firefighters battled a blaze in the industrial city of Ruwais — home to petrochemical plants — after an Iranian drone strike, officials said. No injuries were reported there.Attacks on the wealthy Gulf country — home to the business and travel hub of Dubai — have killed six people and wounded 122 others since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering a shatter-shot response by Tehran across the region.In Bahrain, authorities said an Iranian attack hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight people. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region, and Kuwait’s National Guard said it shot down six drones.Sirens also sounded in Jerusalem, and sounds of explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s air defenses worked to intercept barrages from Iran. Hezbollah, which began firing on Israel after the start of the war, launched missiles into Israel.US and Iranian leaders trade threats At the Pentagon, Hegseth warned that Tuesday “will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran: The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever.” He said “the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest amount of missiles they have fired yet.”Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces hit more than 5,000 targets, and that their objectives included striking “deeper into Iran's military and industrial base.”Witnesses reported hearing several explosions in Tehran in the afternoon as Israel commenced a new wave of airstrikes. Many shops were shuttered.Iran's leaders have remained defiant after days of heavy strikes targeting the country's leadership, military, ballistic missiles and disputed nuclear program. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on X that Iran was “definitely not looking for a ceasefire.”“We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson so that he will never think of attacking our beloved Iran again,” he said.A top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, appeared to threaten Trump himself, writing on X that “Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.” Iran has been accused of plotting attempts to kill Trump in the past.Attacks aimed at pressuring the US Along with firing missiles and drones at Israel and at American bases in the region, Iran has targeted energy infrastructure , attacks that appear aimed at generating enough global economic pain to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end their strikes.Brent crude, the international standard, spiked to nearly $120 on Monday before falling back but was still at around $90 a barrel on Tuesday, nearly 24% higher than when the war started on Feb. 28. The Dow Jones Industrial Average drifted lower at the open Tuesday.Iran has effectively stopped tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz , through which 20% of the world’s oil is carried. Attacks on merchant ships near the strait have killed at least seven sailors, according to the International Maritime Organization.Larijani tweeted that the strait, which is 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman, would “either be a Strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a Strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers.”Trump wrote on social media that “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it “will not allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”A bulk carrier likely came under attack on Tuesday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, with the captain reporting a splash and a loud bang nearby, according to a monitoring center run by the British military.Amin Nasser, the president and CEO of Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco, said tankers were being rerouted to avoid the strait, and that its East-West pipeline would reach its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day being brought to the Red Sea port of the Yanbu this week.“The situation at the Strait of Hormuz is blocking sizable volumes of oil from the whole region,” he said. “If this takes a long time, that will have serious impact on the global economy,” Nasser said.Airstrike on Iran-linked militia in Iraq kills 5 Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched attacks at U.S. bases in the country since the beginning of the conflict.Early Tuesday, an airstrike killed at least five militiamen of the 40th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the city of Kirkuk. Four were wounded, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. It was not immediately clear who was behind the strikes.Israel's military meanwhile reiterated a call for all residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes, saying it planned to “operate forcefully” there against Hezbollah.Since the war began, at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials. Seven U.S. service members have been killed. - 11 March 2026 12:05 AM IST
Markets bet that Trump will end war soon despite threats from both sides
- Reuters
- 10 March 2026 11:27 PM IST
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The widening war in Iran has ground tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt and oil prices have been swinging sharply , highlighting the important role the narrow passageway plays in global energy supply.The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes . Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia.Any disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is highly disruptive to the oil trade. Disruptions caused oil to spike Monday, only for it to swiftly fall back after President Donald Trump suggested the war could be near an end.“The scale of what is at stake cannot be overstated,” said Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at investment management firm Neuberger Berman. He said a partial slowdown lasting a week or two could be absorbed by oil companies. But a full or near full closure lasting a month or more would push crude oil prices “well into triple digits” and European natural gas prices “toward or above the crisis levels seen in 2022.”Here’s what to know about the strait and the widening Iran war.A key waterway for global shipping The Strait of Hormuz is a bending waterway, about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world. While Iran and Oman have their territorial waters in the strait, it's viewed as an international waterway all ships can ply. The United Arab Emirates, home to the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, also sits near the waterway.The strait long has been important for trade The Strait of Hormuz through history has been important for trade, with ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles moving from China through the region. In the modern era, it is the route for supertankers carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. The vast majority of it goes to markets in Asia, including Iran's only remaining oil customer, China.While there are pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can avoid the passage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says “most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region.”Threats to the route have spiked global energy prices in the past, including during the Israel-Iran war in June.Is the strait closed? Iran has attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened any ships that try to pass through, effectively but not officially closing it.President Donald Trump said on social media that the U.S. would dramatically increase attacks if Iran tried to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has been targeting energy infrastructure and traffic through the strait, which is a vital waterway for traded oil.Previously, Iran temporarily shut down parts of the strait in mid-February for what it said was a military drill. In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s’ Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points. But Iran had not carried out repeated threats to close the waterway altogether since the 1980s, even during last year’s 12-day war when Israel and the U.S. bombarded Iran’s key nuclear and military sites.The U.S. is rolling out ship reinsurance in the region through the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., a government agency that partners with the private sector to back global investment projects, in an effort to get ships moving through the Strait again.Political risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect firms against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence. Marine insurers had been canceling or raising rates for insurance in the region.The U.S. reinsurance facility will insure losses up to approximately $20 billion on a rolling basis, according to the International Development Finance Corp., focusing on insuring cargo and physical damage to a ship’s structure and operating machinery to start.Trump said that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy has at least eight destroyers and three, smaller, littoral combat ships in the region. These ships have previously been used to escort merchant shipping in the region and in the Red Sea.Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to dispatch additional warships to the Eastern Mediterranean . There is a French-led initiative in the works that will involve European and non-European nations helping to escort oil and gas tankers with the aim of gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz off Iran “as soon as possible after the most intense phase of the conflict is over.”Global shippers suspend operations Global shippers have issued service alerts saying they have suspended operations in the area. Danish shipping company Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, said Sunday it is suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. Other ocean carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, CMA-CGM and MSC made similar announcements.“Those ships that got stuck in the Gulf are not going anywhere," said Tom Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. "There’s also a whole host of ships that were heading into the Gulf to replace them, and of course they’re anchored or going elsewhere now."There are currently about 400 oil and product tankers idle in the Gulf, and one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident on Monday, according to data from MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. - 10 March 2026 9:53 PM IST
Iran's intelligence ministry announced on Tuesday the arrests of 30 people accused of spying, including one foreigner, on the 11th day of the Middle East war.
- 10 March 2026 9:51 PM IST
Trump Says Iran’s New Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Won’t ‘Live in Peace’
US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as Iran's new Supreme Leader. He said he does not believe the newly appointed leader of the Islamic Republic will be able to “live in peace” as US military operations against the regime in the region continue. - 10 March 2026 9:01 PM IST
This is not 2003: US War Secy vows to defeat Iran
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine declared that the US is winning a "decisive victory" against the Iranian regime. Marking the tenth day of Operation Epic Fury, leadership outlined a campaign defined by total air dominance and the systematic dismantling of Iran's military infrastructure in a high-stakes press briefing.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle with agency inputs )
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