Oil prices have risen, while stock values have declined amid concerns regarding the fragile US-Iran ceasefire following Israel’s significant military actions in Lebanon. In the last two hours, Hezbollah reported launching rockets at northern Israel in retaliation for what they termed “ceasefire violations.”<\/p>\n
As fears mount over the potential collapse of the ceasefire and with crude oil still restricted in the Strait of Hormuz, West Texas Intermediate crude experienced an increase of approximately 3% on Thursday, recovering slightly after a steep decline of over 16% the previous day. Brent crude saw a rise of more than 2% following a previous drop of 13%.<\/p>\n
Equity markets also faced setbacks. Early trading across major Asian markets, including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, and Taipei, showed a slight downturn.<\/p>\n
Gold prices decreased to $4,712 per ounce.<\/p>\n
According to independent analysts, there has been no noticeable change in vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, countering reports from the White House that suggested an increase in shipping activity since the announcement of the US-Iran ceasefire. A maritime intelligence firm, Windward, noted that only 11 vessels passed through the strait on Wednesday, consistent with figures from previous days.<\/p>\n
Windward further indicated that all ships navigating the strait must coordinate their passage with Iranian authorities, who are imposing significant tolls of up to $1 per barrel for oil exports, payable in cryptocurrency. To provide perspective, the largest supertankers can transport up to 3 million barrels of crude oil.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Windward reported that Iranian radio broadcasts warned tankers in the Gulf that any unauthorized vessels would be subject to attack.<\/p>\n
In the ongoing coverage of the US-Israel conflict with Iran, the tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran remains precarious. Tehran has threatened to resume military actions following Israel’s airstrikes on Lebanon, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 254 individuals, as per Lebanon’s Civil Defence.<\/p>\n
As tensions escalate, Iran has indicated that it may close the Strait of Hormuz if Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon. Early Thursday, Hezbollah announced its rocket fire towards northern Israel in response to the alleged ceasefire breaches.<\/p>\n
Both Washington and Tehran have claimed success in establishing the ceasefire, yet tensions have quickly resurfaced with Israel’s severe bombardment of Lebanon, including strikes in central Beirut since Hezbollah entered the conflict in early March.<\/p>\n
Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights chief, described the extent of the violence as “horrific,” highlighting the indiscriminate nature of Israeli attacks on Beirut, which have caused significant panic and devastation. The Red Cross expressed outrage over the extensive casualties and destruction in densely populated regions of Lebanon.<\/p>\n
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned they will respond if Israel does not halt its actions in Lebanon, while Hezbollah asserts its right to retaliate.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the nation remains prepared to confront Iran as it has ongoing “objectives to fulfill,” with military sources confirming the continuation of efforts to “disarm” Hezbollah in Lebanon. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also reiterated that US forces are on standby should the conflict escalate once more.<\/p>\n
The escalating rhetoric comes just ahead of critical discussions set to take place in Pakistan on Friday, where the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be a focal point.<\/p>\n
Key developments include Iran’s announcement of alternative shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns over sea mines in the main shipping zone, along with shared instructions for entering and exiting the strait safely.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration clarified on Wednesday that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that this information has been communicated to all involved parties.<\/p>\n
US Vice President JD Vance further asserted to reporters in Budapest that there was never any commitment to include Lebanon in the ceasefire, suggesting that Iran may have been under a “misunderstanding.” Israel also confirmed on Wednesday that Lebanon is not considered part of the Iran-US ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Leavitt dismissed claims of “misreporting” regarding former President Trump’s handling of a ten-point plan from Iran, asserting that it had been disregarded. She claimed that Iran subsequently presented a more concise and reasonable proposal to the President.<\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged both US and Iranian leaders to incorporate Lebanon into the ceasefire negotiations, a sentiment echoed by Australia\u2019s Foreign Minister.<\/p>\n
In a separate context, former President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with NATO during a private meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte, as tensions within the alliance reached a critical point. Rutte noted that the discussion was candid and constructive between “good friends.”<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer will continue his Middle East tour on Thursday, having recently met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, aiming to bolster confidence for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oil prices have risen, while stock values have declined amid concerns regarding the fragile US-Iran ceasefire following Israel’s significant military actions in Lebanon. In the last two hours, Hezbollah reported launching rockets at northern Israel in retaliation for what they termed “ceasefire violations.” As fears mount over the potential collapse of the ceasefire and with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[261,577,121,578,920,124,88,219,574],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-donald-trump","category-uk-iran","category-uk-israel","category-uk-middle-east-and-north-africa","category-uk-strait-of-hormuz","category-uk-trump-administration","category-uk","category-uk-us-politics","category-uk-us-israel-war-on-iran"],"yoast_head":"\n