US and Iran Trade Deadly Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Grinds to Halt

The US and Iran exchanged heavy airstrikes overnight, with Iran expanding attacks to Qatar and the UAE and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, bringing commercial shipping to a standstill. Ukraine delivered a major blow to Russia’s war economy, destroying 90 shadow fleet vessels in the Azov Sea in a single week. Elsewhere, EU capitals are forcing a showdown on Israeli settlement trade, Iraq’s PM heads to Washington to build alternative oil routes, and Israel formally sets October elections.

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US and Iran trade airstrikes as Strait of Hormuz shipping grinds to halt The US launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian air defense, radar, and naval sites, while Iran retaliated by hitting US-linked facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has completely stopped, with ship-tracking data showing zero vessels crossing since Sunday evening after just eight crossed the day prior. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ukraine destroys 90 Russian shadow fleet vessels in a week, halting Kerch Strait traffic Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces say 14 more tankers and ferries were destroyed overnight, bringing the total number of Russian shadow fleet vessels hit in the past week to 90. The operation has effectively halted traffic through the Kerch Strait, crippling a key revenue route that Moscow uses to finance its war effort. 8 9

EU capitals push von der Leyen to crack down on trade with illegal Israeli settlements Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain are assembling a majority to force the European Commission to propose limiting trade with West Bank settlements, ramping up a standoff with Brussels over its Middle East policy. The push is set to dominate a gathering of EU foreign ministers. 10 11

Iraq PM visits Washington to sign oil deals and reduce dependency on Strait of Hormuz Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrives in Washington to deepen strategic ties, with planned oil and gas agreements designed to create alternative export outlets and reduce Iraq's exposure to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The visit comes as Baghdad balances its relationships between Tehran and Washington. 12

Israel sets October 27 election date, completing first full government term since 1988 The Knesset House Committee confirmed the October 27 date for general elections, rejecting opposition bids for an early vote. This marks the first time since 1988 that an Israeli government will complete a full four-year term. 13

China accelerates First Island Chain strategy using naval drills and legal warfare A security source warned that Beijing is deploying fabricated historical claims, international cognitive warfare, and escalating gray-zone operations to pressure Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. Taiwan's defense ministry reported detecting five Chinese naval vessels and ten official ships operating around its territory. 14 15