New attacks on shipping as Iran talks hit fresh impasse

As the Iran war appeared to reach a stalemate, attacks on shipping surged, with prospects for resolution dimming. The US and Yemen-aligned Houthis separately targeted vessels in the Gulf of Oman and Red Sea, vital trade routes for global oil supplies. Oil prices surged as global shares declined, reflecting growing uncertainty about the conflict's swift conclusion.

In the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, four crew members perished in a suspected Houthi assault on an Egyptian cargo vessel, while two Yemeni rescuers also lost their lives. This marked the first time such deaths occurred in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis since the war began. The Houthis threatened to blockade Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, and reportedly attacked a Saudi military ship in the same strait.

The US military retaliated, firing missiles to disable the steering of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that ignored warnings to cease violating a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, insisted the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US accepted Iran's demands - the release of frozen assets and an end to conflicts worldwide. Trump has alternated between threats and claims of imminent peace, cautioning that Iran's economic pressure could persist until they meet his terms.