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US readies new Russia sanctions if Putin rejects peace deal, Bloomberg News reports

A State Department spokesperson told Reuters it does not preview sanctions.

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The United States is preparing a further round of sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector to increase pressure on Moscow should it reject a peace deal with Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

A White House official told Reuters that U.S. President Donald Trump had made no new decisions regarding Russian sanctions.

 “It is the role of agencies to prepare options for the president to execute,” the official said.

Bloomberg had reported the U.S. was considering options including targeting vessels in what is known as Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers used to transport exported oil, as well as traders who facilitate such transactions.

The new measures could be announced as early as this week, the report said, adding that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the move with a group of European ambassadors this week.

“It is explicitly false to conclude any decisions have been made regarding future sanctions against Russia. As we have said for months, all options remain on the table in support of President Trump’s tireless efforts to stop the senseless killing, and to achieving a lasting, durable peace,” a U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson said.

A State Department spokesperson told Reuters it does not preview sanctions.

Asked about the Bloomberg article, the Kremlin said it had not seen the report but that any sanctions harm efforts to mend U.S.-Russia relations.

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US, Iran may resume talks this week despite port blockade

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Negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Islamabad ​this week to resume talks to end the war, sources told Reuters on Tuesday, after the collapse of weekend negotiations prompted Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.

While the ‌U.S. blockade drew angry rhetoric from Tehran, signs that diplomatic engagement might continue helped calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 on Tuesday.

The highest-level talks between the two adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended in the Pakistani capital without a breakthrough at the weekend, raising doubts over the survival of a two-week ceasefire that still has a week to run.

But a source involved in the talks said on Tuesday both countries could return as early as the end of this week, and that a proposal had been shared ​with Washington and Tehran to resend their delegations.

“No firm date has been set, with the delegations keeping Friday through Sunday open,” a senior Iranian source said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran had ​been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal, adding that he would not sanction any agreement that allowed Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.

Since ⁠the United States and Israel began the war on February 28, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to nearly all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and ​subject to a fee. The fallout has been widespread, as nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas previously flowed through the narrow waterway.

In a countermeasure, the U.S. military said it began blocking shipping traffic in ​and out of Iran’s ports on Monday.

Tehran has threatened to hit naval ships going through the strait and to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours’ ports.

Nearly 24 hours into the U.S. blockade, there had yet to be reports of Washington taking direct action against shipping to enforce it.

Three Iran-linked tankers were seen transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping data showed, but the vessels were not heading to or from Iranian ports.

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World

Trump says Iran wants to make a deal

Trump said ​that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and ​that a “blockade” of ​ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz ‌had ⁠begun.

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U.S. ​President Donald Trump said on ‌Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and ​that he will not ​come to any agreement ⁠that allows Tehran to ​have a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported.

Trump said ​that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and ​that a “blockade” of ​ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz ‌had ⁠begun.

He said that Iran had “called this morning” and that “they’d like to work a ​deal.” ​Reuters could ⁠not immediately verify the claim.

“Iran will ​not have a nuclear ​weapon,” ⁠Trump told reporters at the White House. “We can’t ⁠let ​a country blackmail ​or extort the world.”

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NATO allies reject US Hormuz blockade, push for diplomatic solution

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NATO allies including the United Kingdom and France have refused to join a U.S.-led plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, instead calling for a diplomatic approach to restore safe navigation through the critical shipping route.

The decision follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump that the United States would move to block maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports after talks to end the conflict with Iran failed.

U.S. officials later clarified that the measures would target vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports, rather than all shipping transiting the strait.

European leaders have distanced themselves from the move, stressing they do not want to be drawn further into the conflict. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London would not support the blockade despite what he described as “considerable pressure.”

Instead, European countries are working on alternative proposals aimed at reopening the waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the UK would convene a conference with international partners to establish a multinational mission focused on restoring freedom of navigation. He said the initiative would be strictly defensive and separate from ongoing hostilities, and could be deployed once conditions allow.

According to diplomatic sources, the proposed mission could involve around 30 countries, including several European and Gulf states, as well as India. The effort would aim to coordinate naval escorts for commercial vessels and establish guidelines for safe passage, while avoiding direct involvement in the conflict.

Mark Rutte has indicated that NATO could play a role in the region if member states reach consensus, although several countries have signalled they would only participate once there is a durable ceasefire and assurances that their vessels would not be targeted.

Since the conflict began in late February, Iran has largely restricted access to the strait, raising concerns over energy supplies and global trade.

European officials say diplomatic engagement remains the preferred path forward, with efforts focused on de-escalation and ensuring the safe flow of maritime traffic through one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

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