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9 briefs

power 2026-05-11

Trump Sanctioned China's Oil Supply Chain to Gain Leverage Before the Summit. China Already Priced It In.

Washington's April 24 sanctions targeting Hengli Petrochemical and 40 shipping entities were supposed to be summit leverage. A CounterPunch analysis argues they were actually America's last chip, spent.

conflict 2026-05-06

Trump Launched Project Freedom. Then Stopped It After One Day.

The Hormuz pause is not a concession to Iran. It is a test of whether Pakistan can deliver a deal before Iran's economy forces one.

conflict 2026-05-05

Project Freedom Cracks the Ceasefire

The US forced ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by attacking the UAE. A three-week truce is unraveling in real time.

conflict 2026-05-02

Pay Iran or Face US Sanctions. Shipping Companies Must Choose.

The US has threatened to sanction any shipping firm that pays Iran's Strait of Hormuz transit tolls, while simultaneously describing its own seizure of Iranian cargo as 'very profitable.' The global maritime economy now has no legal path through the Strait.

conflict 2026-05-02

Four Ships Hijacked in Two Weeks. Somali Piracy Is Back and No One Is Watching.

The navies that suppressed Somali piracy are now chasing Houthi drones in the Red Sea. Armed groups on Somalia's 3,333-kilometer coastline noticed.

conflict 2026-04-28

The Strait Has a Special Lane

A $500 million Russian oligarch superyacht sailed through the Hormuz blockade this weekend. Iran stops everyone else. Russia's ally went through without incident.

conflict 2026-04-20

Hormuz Is Open. The Oil Isn't Flowing.

Commercial traffic through the Strait stopped cold on Monday after the US seized an Iranian cargo ship. The IEA says full energy recovery will take two years.

conflict 2026-04-09

The Ceasefire Happened. The Ships Are Not Coming Back.

Maersk, Norwegian shipowners, and every major tanker operator say the ceasefire is not enough to resume Strait of Hormuz transits. The gap between 'political agreement' and 'safe passage' is where the energy crisis lives.

power 2026-04-08

China and Russia Kill the Hormuz Lifeline

Beijing and Moscow didn't veto a resolution protecting shipping. they vetoed the idea that the UN Security Council has any authority over a war they're quietly backing.