Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill on Thursday as renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran shattered a three-week-old ceasefire, raising fresh concerns over energy supplies and regional security.
The United States launched a second consecutive day of major military strikes against Iran on Tuesday, targeting about 90 military sites along its coastline, as Tehran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, sharply escalating tensions across the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the interim agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending weeks of hostilities was effectively "over," following a sharp escalation in military exchanges across the Gulf that has further rattled global energy markets and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Requests for legal advice have skyrocketed by more than 5,700% in Saudi Arabia since 2024, while in Kuwait they have increased by 1,832%, a new study has revealed.
The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes across Iran overnight, targeting more than 80 sites after Tehran resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, further destabilising a fragile ceasefire agreed less than three weeks ago.
Attacks on commercial shipping resumed in the Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels struck in separate incidents that have heightened fears over the security of the shipping lane and threatened to derail recent diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
A fire broke out at a restaurant on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road on Monday and was brought under control after more than three hours with no injuries reported, said media reports, citing Dubai Civil Defence officials. Cooling operations are currently under way to extinguish remaining hot spots.
Thales, a global leader in defence, aerospace sectors, in partnership with Omani contractor Ankaa, has been awarded a contract by the Oman Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to deliver its latest-generation Tracsigma primary surveillance radar and two RSM NG secondary surveillance radars.
Iran and the US concluded a round of indirect talks on Wednesday with no sign they had made headway toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on issues that they said had been resolved when an interim deal was announced two weeks ago. Sources said negotiators spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
