Relatives of some soldiers killed in the Iran war joined dozens of Gold Star families from prior U.S. conflicts Tuesday at the White House, where President Donald Trump offered words of comfort and candles were lit for the fallen service members, according to one of the widows who attended.
Not all families of the six soldiers killed March 1 in the deadliest attack of the Iran war opted to attend. Troops who survived the attack have raised questions about why they were stationed at a site that didn't have sufficient air protection and was viewed as a likely target.
Michelle Tietjens and other relatives have said they are angry the Army still hasn't answered questions over whether enough was done to protect their loved ones. But Tietjens and her teenage son traveled from Bellevue, Nebraska, to attend the event to honor her husband, Master Sgt. Noah Tietjens, who was killed along with five other Army Reserve soldiers by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.
"I decided to go originally because my son wanted to go," Tietjens said. "But then I wanted to see what it was about as well. I wanted to also go to support my husband's memory."
She said they toured several rooms of the White House and took a photo with Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump. Tietjens said the president told them that he wished he had her teenage son's full head of curly hair.

#soldiers #wanted #House

LONDON (AP) — British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offense over a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England that authorities have linked to Iran.
The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, located 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran during this year's war.
Five British men in their 20s were detained near the perimeter of the base in the early hours of Sept. 27, and a 25-year-old British-Iranian man was arrested in London on Thursday. All six have been released on bail under investigation.
Counter Terrorism Policing said a British national was detained Tuesday in the Westminster area of central London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said detectives "continue to pursue multiple lines of inquiry" and "remain committed to investigating all possible angles."

#policing #arrested #base #detained

The shrapnel hit Army Lt. Col. Arturo Lincón's body like shattered glass.
One chunk of metal lodged into the left side of his jaw. Another piece sliced through his salivary gland before bouncing off his jaw and piercing the back of his neck, severing an artery and embedding in a vertebra.
Lincón was among dozens of U.S. soldiers injured in an Iranian drone strike on March 1. The attack on the second day of the U.S. war with Iran killed six troops who were providing logistical support of critical supplies at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.
Whether the military was properly prepared for treating its wounded has become a sharp point of contention. Soldiers and family members have told The ****** ociated Press of a failure to recognize the seriousness of injuries, a poor plan to get the wounded to hospitals and red tape that has hindered follow-up care. The Pentagon has said that the medical care was appropriate.
Nine U.S. service members who were wounded spoke to the AP on the record — rare for troops still in the Army — about what they describe as a medical system that left them in many ways fighting to get treatment on their own.

#arturo

Iran's top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States' war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a UK maritime agency reported on Sunday another tanker struck by an unknown projectile.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," he continued, adding "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.

#sunday #Israel

Updated on: October 3, 2026 / 6:00 PM EDT / CBS/AP
A dual U.K.-Iranian national who was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at the U.S.-run RAF Fairford air base in England that British authorities have linked to Tehran was released on bail Saturday.
The 25-year-old man was arrested in London on Thursday, and police have searched two properties in the U.K. capital, Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement.
On Saturday, Counter Terrorism Policing announced that the man had been released on bail.
"The investigation into the circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is continuing," the agency said in a new statement.

#arrested #released #bail #updated

By Jana Choukeir and Doina Chiacu
DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Sunday, with President Donald Trump warning Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian ‌military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack.
The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready ‌for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilled over into new regional escalations.
In a phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out, the reporter said.
However, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General ***** embly, Trump said he would be open to meeting him, the Fox reporter added.

#reporter #Iran #make

CAIRO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday in a government-organized show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.
Iran's government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday, it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.
Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as "Janfaday-e Iran," or the "ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.
For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with **** ault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.
Tehran's Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.

#government #training #since

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a civil forfeiture complaint on Sep. 14 seeking approximately $61 million in cryptocurrency linked to black-market sales of Iranian crude oil.
According to the DOJ, the funds were allegedly meant to support the Iranian government and its military, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. The U.S. government has designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
A civil forfeiture complaint is a legal action in which the government seeks to seize money or property it believes was involved in or resulted from criminal activity. It is not a criminal charge, the allegations are not proven until a court rules in the government's favor.
Related: Cathie Wood dumps $65 million in crypto ahead of CLARITY vote
The complaint alleges that two Chinese companies, Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale, used trading accounts at Binance to launder proceeds from sanctioned Iranian oil sales. Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume.

#government

WASHINGTON — The talks to end the Iran war had hit a snag.
Vice President JD Vance had flown to Pakistan for negotiations with the Iranians, a sign that the two sides had narrowed their differences and the White House might be poised to announce a breakthrough.
As the marathon April meeting unfolded, though, U.S. negotiators began to worry: It looked like the Iranians were changing the terms of a potential deal. So, during a pause, they phoned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to get a “steer” on what they should do next, an administration official with direct knowledge of the matter said in an interview.
Rubio agreed that they couldn’t accept Iran’s offer, the official said. There would be no deal.
Rubio isn’t the face of the Iran negotiations. He’s kept a discreet public distance as the unpopular war grinds on. Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and the president’s longtime friend and special envoy Steve Witkoff are the main protagonists in the push to end both the Iran and Russia-Ukraine conflicts.

#rubio

Some refiners in ******* an this week rushed to buy Oman's crude for earlier loadings after Saudi Arabia shut down its key pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, traders with knowledge of the purchases told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Late last week, Saudi Arabia was forced to temporarily shut down the East-West oil pipeline following drone attacks launched from the territory of Iraq close to the Iranian border on Thursday. The shutdown of the pipeline is a precautionary measure, after the attacks resulted in a number of injuries, the world's top crude oil exporter said.
The 750-mile-long East-West pipeline became Saudi Arabia's vital oil route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict started and Hormuz was closed to shipping traffic. Thanks to the East-West pipeline, the Kingdom has managed to re-route most of its crude loadings from the western ports in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Apart from announcing the shutdown of the pipeline and condemning the attacks, Saudi Arabia has not officially updated the market either on the extent of the damage or the timelines for repairs.
The repairs could take three to five weeks, two regional officials briefed on the matter told The ******* ociated Press.

#hormuz #strait

Senate Republicans aren’t happy with the lack of progress in the Iran war and what they say is the administration’s failure to identify clear objectives to end the conflict.
The war continues to be a major drag on GOP candidates as the failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and new threats facing oil exports from Iranian-backed Houthi militias have sent the prices to nearly $106 a barrel, while raising the national gas price average to $4.37 a gallon.
But Republicans are particularly concerned about the war’s impact on the price of diesel, which has soared to a national average of $6.31 and hit several Senate battleground states — including Alaska, Nebraska, Iowa and Maine — especially hard.
Some Republicans are now floating the idea of embargoing diesel exports produced in the United States to lower prices.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) expressed frustration over “the lack of just transparency and information from the administration on what’s happening, what we should expect, the costs,” joining other GOP senators who have expressed similar grievances.

#senate #prices #national

GENEVA (AP) — Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N.'s top human rights body say they have found "reasonable grounds" to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran, including on a school in the southern city of Minab.
The international fact-finding mission on Iran says the findings center on a pair of airstrikes that killed at least 178 civilians, including women and children.
At the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in February, at least one U.S. missile hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, according to an ****** ociated Press investigation. There has been no final accounting of what happened. Iranian state media have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children.
"Following the United States and Israeli attacks on 28 February, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects," the fact-finding team said in a statement.
The Trump administration has yet to directly accept the blame or release findings of a Pentagon investigation into the school bombing.

#school

US stocks fell for a second day in a row on Tuesday as investors braced for the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on Wednesday and monitored the fallout from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's essay on AI safety fears.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) declined 0.8% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.7%. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) tumbled more than 0.4%.
Oil prices ticked back up, with Brent crude (BZ=F) and WTI crude (CL=F) changing hands at $108 and $105 per barrel, respectively. Prices have remained elevated since Saudi Arabia shuttered its East-West pipeline and the Iranian-backed Houthis launched fresh attacks in the Middle East.
Bond yields have also shot up as investors await the next Fed policy decision. The yield on the 10-year note (^TNX) hovered around 5%. The move follows the key interest rate briefly rising overnight to its highest intraday level since 2007, underscoring concerns about rising borrowing costs, global deficits, and inflation.
The Federal Open Market Committee began its September meeting on Tuesday, with traders overwhelmingly expecting a rate hike. The release of the so-called dot plot, along with Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh's press conference, could offer investors clues about the prevailing winds in the Fed's monetary policy.

#federal

BAGHDAD (AP) — Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of a decades-long U.S. military presence and the disarmament of non-state armed groups.
The U.S. withdrawal is underway, and officials say the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by the Sept. 30 deadline.
The Iraqi government has linked the U.S. withdrawal to an ultimatum for militias to lay down their weapons. But most have indicated they have no plans to do so.
That leaves major questions about what the day after will look like in Iraq.
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have struck U.S.-linked targets both inside and outside of Iraq since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. They also have coordinated with Yemen's Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia.

#sept #iranian

Iran is deliberately targeting U.S. naval drones in the Strait of Hormuz to gather intelligence on American surveillance capabilities and learn how to evade U.S. defenses, drone experts warned Tuesday.
Tehran's strategy is coordinated, they said, and involves exposing critical insights into U.S. Navy theater operations in the world's most vulnerable maritime choke point even when classified data is uncompromised.
The warning came as tensions escalated in the Gulf region Sept. 14 after the U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats amid an attempted seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of an American unmanned surface vessel (USV) patrolling the area, according to reports.
Us Military Attacks Iran In 'Self-defense Strikes' Over Weekend
A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz, Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

#Iran #sept

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight of trying to attack Islam's holiest city, prompting condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military support. The kingdom, a key U.S. ally, declared Mecca a "red line" as it slid deeper into the new front of the Iran war.
With the world's biggest oil exporter under fire from the rebels backed by the Saudis' regional adversary, Tehran, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military ******* istance. A path to either one remains unclear.
A crucial Saudi pipeline has reportedly been shut down for weeks after an attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The Yemen-based Houthis have been targeting infrastructure in the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea, where they have seized several islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. And Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel.
The Houthis denied firing drones toward Mecca, about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Yemen's border. The Saudis said they intercepted and destroyed the drone before it entered the airspace over the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.
The attacks are the first test of a new defense pact among Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkey and nuclear power Pakistan. But officials from Turkey and Pakistan told The ******* ociated Press they have not received a Saudi request for support in response to the Houthis' escalation.

#arabia #saudis #turkey

Updated Sept 11, 2026, 4:11 pm EDT / Original Sept 11, 2026, 8:52 am EDT
Kids are back to school, which also means it’s conference season on Wall Street, when executives meet with investors at events facilitated by brokers.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
For Middle Eastern oil producers, there are fewer and fewer places to hide from Iranian violence. And because of that, oil prices are almost certain to stay high.

#wall #company #rights

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are down -0.15%, and September Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQU26) are down -0.66% this morning as rising oil prices and bond yields weigh on investor sentiment ahead of crucial U.S. producer inflation data and earnings from debt-loaded AI hyperscaler Oracle.
Oil prices extended their advance on Thursday as escalating attacks between the U.S. and Iran risked prolonging disruptions to energy flows in the Middle East. Brent crude rose above $103 a barrel, while WTI crude climbed above $99 a barrel. A senior Iranian official said on Wednesday that Tehran has no plans to back down in the face of an American naval blockade and will intensify its strikes if the U.S. continues attacking its territory. Also, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard warned on Wednesday of additional restrictions on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said the war with Iran would not end until after the November midterm elections.
'Not Tens Of Billions, But Tens Of Trillions': Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Is Like the New Electricity and the Scale Is Unlike Any Tech in History
What It Means for MSFT Stock Investors as Microsoft Switches to 2 Business Segments
RKLB Stock Jumps as Rocket Lab Debuts New Solar Cell for ****** e

#Iran

Shams Charania: Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss an extended period of time, sources tell ESPN. Williams suffered the injury in an offseason workout.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mark Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a …

#repair #shams #charania #Suns

NBA insider takes shot at T-Wolves Jonathan **** inga for jab at Warriors' Steph Curry, Chris Paul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going all in on winning a championship this season after the impressive offseason they had. It is amazing to see the team they have put together, and it was all due to their aggressiveness.
The big summer all started just before the NBA Draft when they traded for Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. The team also just ended their free agency by winning the battle for Jonathan **** inga.
"Jonathan **** inga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. **** inga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender," ESPN's Shams Charania wrote.
The 23-year-old NBA champion waited the entire summer for the right opportunity, and he sure got that with the Timberwolves. He joins Anthony Edwards and other talented players in Minnesota.

#jonathan #timberwolves #ball #edwards

During a September 8 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer examined the broader aerospace ecosystem following GE Aerospace's (NYSE:GE) nearly $12 billion agreement to acquire castings specialist Consolidated Precision Products (CPP). Commenting on the strategic importance of supply chain control and the enduring strength of commercial and defense aviation despite rising oil prices, Cramer stated:
I still believe in the data center, but I also want to open your eyes to other opportunities. This morning, for example, GE Aerospace spent nearly $12 billion to buy a castings company called Consolidated Precision Products to integrate this key segment into its supply chain. It's vital for both commercial aircraft and particularly defense, both of which are booming. Now, on a day where oil's up, you might not want to focus on anything airline related, but travel's been booming the whole time, the whole time the Iranian war's been going on. This acquisition will pay off quickly for GE, making it more likely that they can accelerate production. This is also good news, therefore, for Boeing, a huge customer of GE that needs to boost its production speed.
GE is relatively close to its highs, deservedly so. Boeing? Nowhere near its high. Yet the order book is full. Last week, there was this negative article about how Boeing is being hurt by the problem-filled Spirit AeroSystems acquisition. It made that one two years ago. But that actually had to be done because Boeing, like GE Aerospace, needs to get better control of its supply chain. Aha, you say, who needs that kind of problem? Boeing just reported its slowest deliveries in 4 months. I come back and say, wait a second. First, the problems from the Spirit deal are now behind them. You know what? The story is actually old news.
Plus, CEO Kelly Ortberg has made it clear that orders would be lumpy. I knew that. And look, I know the high price of oil, particularly jet fuel, is bad news for the airlines. But the higher price of fuel also makes these new engines and airplanes far more valuable than before. Why? They're way more energy efficient. It's a good situation that has nothing to do with the data center. It does require more, better tech that AI can help with.
GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) and The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) represent two distinct pillars of the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, operating at massive commercial scale. GE Aerospace reported second-quarter revenue of $13.3 billion, up 21% year-over-year, driven by strong commercial engine services and record internal shop visit output. Its total order backlog extends past $210 billion, supported by sustained airline demand for propulsion systems and aftermarket maintenance.

#boeing #chain #consolidated

US stocks fell for a third day in a row on Wednesday as oil prices continued to rise and Treasury yields jumped after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed new bond buyback plans.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) lost nearly 0.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell 0.6%, extending losses after a downbeat session on Tuesday. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell by roughly 0.5%.
The 10-year yield (^TNX) rose 3 basis points to 4.83%, its highest level since October 2023, as the market reacted negatively to Bessent's announcement that the Treasury Department intends to triple its next bond buyback program in an effort to curb rising borrowing costs.
Oil prices reached triple digits for the first time in over a month after fighting between the US and Iran escalated and the US struck five Iranian oil tankers. Brent crude oil futures (BZ=F), the global benchmark, traded at $101 per barrel, while US benchmark WTI crude (CL=F) climbed to $96 per barrel.
Concerns that energy supply disruptions stemming from the war in the Strait of Hormuz will persist fed into bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week. Traders now see a 60% chance of a 25 basis point hike this month, according to CME Group, up slightly from the odds a day ago.

#bond #triple

Brent crude traded close to $100 a barrel on Wednesday, reaching levels last seen in July as markets ****** sed further military activity in the Middle East and its potential impact on regional oil supplies.
At 0614 GMT, Brent crude futures were up 1.3% at $99.22 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 1.2% to $94.13 a barrel.
Brent has risen approximately 25% since early August as fighting in the six-month conflict resumed and expectations for a permanent resolution diminished.
The conflict escalated on Tuesday as Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen carried out strikes against several Saudi Arabian cities.
U.S. forces also struck multiple Iranian oil tankers, while Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan and attacked vessels.

#iranian #forces #east

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are down -0.27% this morning as escalating hostilities in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher, fueling inflation concerns and sapping risk appetite.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday as fighting between the U.S. and Iran intensified, with no clear path toward de-escalation in sight. Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, while WTI crude climbed above $95 a barrel. The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian tankers on Tuesday in retaliation for attempts to strike a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles, according to Central Command. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at Jordan and issuing a warning to ships in the Persian Gulf.
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#Iran #Stock #prices

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Gold (GC=F) December futures opened at $4,399 per troy ounce on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, down 0.9% from Tuesday's closing price. Gold moved back higher in early trading this morning to $4,438.20 per troy ounce as of 6:34 a.m. ET.
Exactly one week ago, our headline here was "Gold slips further as military actions escalate in Iran." And that's exactly the headline news yet again.
Oil prices (BZ=F) are currently over $100 a barrel, as gold opens at its lowest value in a week, following reports that the U.S. military destroyed five more Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian attacks on U.S. warships:
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced late on Tuesday that American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, once again claiming that it was in response to the IRGC targeting a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles. Four of the carriers, M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco, were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman. One of the carriers, M/T Derya, was struck near Kharg Island.

#Gold #military

Chinese independent refiners may be about to start reducing their processing rates as international oil prices rise and supply from major exporters such as Venezuela and Iran dries up as a result of U.S. foreign policy decisions.
"Teapots are unlikely to be able to afford a full shift to mainstream grades," an Energy Aspects ***** yst said this week, as quoted by Bloomberg. The so-called teapots are more sensitive to adverse oil market changes due to their refining margins being slimmer than those of state-owned majors. These margins have already fallen to breakeven, from around $10 per barrel in early July, Jianan Sun also said.
China imported 37.93 million tons, or 8.93 million barrels per day of crude oil in August, up by 6.2% compared to July, and further recovering from the decade-low seen in June, official Chinese customs data showed on Tuesday. The August import level was still 23.4% lower compared to the same month last year, but it's a marked improvement from the June lows of just 7.1 million bpd.
China slashed its total crude oil imports to a decade low in June, culminating three months of very low import levels amid high prices and constrained supply from the Middle East. This affected refinery output, which in turn contributed to the global fuel squeeze that is now set to deepen and extend in time as fighting in the Middle East continues and intensifies, pushing oil prices higher and sapping some refiners' appetite for the commodity.
With Venezuelan and Iranian crude all but gone, Chinese refiners will probably lean more heavily on Russian crude in the coming weeks. However, Russian crude prices are also on the rise on the futures market, in tune with all the other blends that trade internationally, which will likely put a lid on demand.

#june #july #China #middle

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the New Orleans Pelicans are sending Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.
The main reason for this trade is pretty simple: New Orleans needed to clear salary before officially adding Bennedict Mathurin on his two-year, $16.0 million deal. Because the Pelicans are using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign him, they can't finish above the first apron afterward, so they had to open enough room under that line first. Memphis is basically getting paid to help the Pelicans clean up the payroll, and I think the Grizzlies did very well here.
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, future second-round pick, future second-round pick (swap)
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: AJ Johnson, Taj Gibson
Hawkins is making $7.0 million this season, and Peavy is at $2.2 million, so New Orleans moves roughly $9.2 million in salary. Johnson costs only $3.2 million, while Gibson's $3.8 million salary isn't guaranteed yet, so he's gone from $0 to $200K in the trade, as the Pelicans are likely to waive him. Mathurin's first-year salary will be about $7.8 million on the two-year deal he agreed to last month.

#pelicans #orleans #round

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who claimed asylum in Australia have confirmed their pivotal refusal to sing the national anthem during the Women's Asian Cup in March was a protest against Tehran.
The first media interview with Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, and Fatemeh Pasandideh, 22, since they abandoned their team to become refugees was broadcast Sunday on Australia's "60 Minutes" current affairs program.
"We just wanted to stand with our people. I was scared at times, but I just tried to do what was right and say that no one should be killed just for protesting," Ramezanisadeh told Nine Network through an interpreter.
The team was criticized in Iran and branded as traitors in the media there for remaining silent when the Iranian national anthem was played ahead of their opening loss against South Korea on March 2.
Some saw it as an act of resistance, while others interpreted it as a show of mourning following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on their homeland which began on Feb. 28. The team offered no public explanation.

#team #ramezanisadeh

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran state media on Monday said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine: Tehran "will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out."
The report by Iran's state news agency repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been "tested" against a U.S. warship. But it was not clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described, the solid-fueled Qassem Basir.
The U.S. on Saturday said ballistic missiles were launched at U.S. warships and it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response. Experts called the launch a dangerous escalation, noting that until then Iran's attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping during six months of war. The U.S. said the warships evaded the attacks.
Iran's messaging in recent days has become more ***** ertive, and Monday's report said the Qassem Basir marks "a turning point in Iran's defense strategy." It described the missile as having greater range and accuracy and a half-ton warhead. The missile was unveiled last year, when it was described as having at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.
Concerns about Iran's ballistic missile program were one of the stated reasons the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran early this year, sparking the war.

#missile #described #Iran #tested

CAIRO (AP) — The new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Sunday said Tehran plans to announce an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels it believes are attempting to transit the waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei's comments to Iran's state broadcaster came with few details, a day after the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at U.S. warships. Experts called the launches a dangerous escalation after Iran's previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping.
The new zone should be announced in the coming days and weeks and "will begin from the line of the U.S. naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz, and from this side continue into the Persian Gulf," Rezaei said. "Any ship that enters this area with the intention of passing through the Strait of Hormuz and is identified will be placed on our sanctions list."
It is not clear where Iran defines the location of the weekslong U.S. blockade, which is aimed at Iranian ports and keeping Tehran from shipping out its oil. The U.S. military has said over 20 warships are supporting the blockade, which as of Sunday had redirected 92 commercial ships and disabled three.
The U.S. has been introducing new measures to increase the economic pain on Iran after negotiations collapsed and no end to the intermittent fighting appears in sight. Meanwhile, Iran continues to attack some ships trying to transit the strait, which has become an important source of leverage for Tehran in the war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes.

#strait