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Rising Tensions Leave Ships Stranded in Key Oil Passage

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ⁠was closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, choking off a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, has raised urgent concerns over an increasingly alarming situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where dozens of vessels remain stranded amid escalating conflict involving Iran. He emphasized the need to safeguard global shipping and protect seafarers as the strategic waterway—responsible for roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows—remains closed for a fourth consecutive day.  The closure has disrupted international trade routes and heightened anxiety across the maritime sector. Greek authorities have urged shipowners to exercise maximum caution and avoid high‑risk zones in the wider Persian Gulf region as tensions continue to rise. The prolonged shutdown underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical instability and highlights th...

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Israel Insists on Right to Act Against Hezbollah in Any Deal to End Fighting

Amid ongoing conflict, Israel's Defense Minister has firmly stated that the country insists on retaining the right to act militarily against Hezbollah in any agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon. This stance is likely to be contested by Lebanon, potentially complicating peace efforts.

The conflict, which erupted into full-scale war in September 2023, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement on both sides. Lebanese officials have called for a return to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between the sides and called for Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces to withdraw from a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been working to broker a ceasefire, held a second round of talks with Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah. Hochstein mentioned that the talks had made "additional progress," and he plans to visit Israel to try to bring the conflict to a close.

The situation remains tense, with both sides showing little inclination to compromise, and the international community closely watching the developments.

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