Ukraine launched over 400 drones at Moscow, hitting industrial sites and an oil depot, while Russia continued ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, causing multiple casualties. Cross-border strikes also led to deaths in Belgorod and on a cargo vessel near Odesa, as Ukraine's military commander Syrskyi faces potential dismissal.
Indian sailors are being killed and injured in Middle East shipping attacks amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict. India's government has implemented new monitoring and hiring advisories, but families of victims demand stronger action and compensation.
Russia's ambassador to Ankara, Sergey Vershinin, stated that safeguarding Black Sea navigation is a top national priority, blaming Ukraine for recent drone attacks on cargo ships. He affirmed Russia's strong cooperation with Turkey in upholding Black Sea security.
An Egyptian cook was killed and eight crew members evacuated after Russia attacked foreign cargo ships in the Black Sea. The Turkish vessel Victress was severely damaged, while ships flying Belize and Palau flags also came under fire. This follows Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Three India-bound cargo ships are transiting the Strait of Hormuz following the US ending its blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran easing maritime restrictions. This development, linked to a peace deal, signals India's potential to resume economic ties, including energy trade and the International North South Transport Corridor.
The US military has been covertly guiding approximately 70 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, The New York Times reported. Iran had previously closed the vital waterway to "hostile countries" following US and Israeli airstrikes.
An AI-powered detection network called WhaleSpotter has launched in San Francisco Bay to track whales day and night, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute. This initiative aims to reduce whale deaths, particularly from ship strikes, amid an alarming rise in gray whale fatalities linked to climate change.
South Korea is treading carefully in attributing blame for the strike on one of its cargo ships earlier this month, even as preliminary signs point to Iranian drones being the culprit. Seoul has surveillance footage of the incident in the early hours of May 4 – when two airborne objects struck the HMM Namu while it lay at anchor off the United Arab Emirates – but so far has said little. Observers believe the government is biding its time and waiting to deliver a verdict until after a highly...
Two cargo ships were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. In response, the US announced plans to begin escorting neutral vessels through the waterway, while Iran maintains its right to control the strait despite ongoing regional tensions.
Thousands of seafarers are stranded as the Iran war shuts down much of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil and gas trade and raising safety fears.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps captured two cargo ships, the MSC-FRANCESCA and EPAMINODES, in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, releasing military footage showing armed personnel scaling the vessels. Panama, whose flag the MSC Francesca flew, condemned the seizure as illegal and a serious threat to maritime security. US President Trump offered Iran a new deal for prosperity, urging diplomatic talks, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized US actions as contradictory, noting that siege and threats hinder genuine negotiations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, identifying one as the MSC Francesca (claimed to belong to Israel) and the other as the Epaminondas. The seizures occurred as US President Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, at Pakistan's request, to allow more time for diplomatic negotiations. Brent crude oil prices spiked to around $99 per barrel amid uncertainty over the war and continued closure of the strategic waterway, which accounts for a fifth of global oil and gas exports.
President Trump said a U.S. delegation will head to Pakistan to resume talks to end the war with Iran, but Tehran expressed reluctance after the U.S. seized one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. military seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, potentially complicating peace talks scheduled for Monday in Pakistan. The vessel Touska was disabled by the USS Spruance before Marines boarded. Iran warned of retaliation while questioning U.S. diplomatic seriousness. Oil prices jumped 5.3% to $95.62/barrel. The April 8 ceasefire between U.S.-Israel and Iran expires Wednesday.
