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Iran claims it targeted a US-linked oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that it carried out an attack on an oil tanker linked to a U.S. company in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings from Iranian authorities.

In a statement, the IRGC said the tanker Safesea Vishnu, which it described as owned by a U.S. company and sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, was struck north of the strategic waterway early in the morning.

Iranian officials claimed the ship failed to comply with maritime instructions issued by Iranian forces operating in the area.

The IRGC warned that shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz faces increasing risks, placing responsibility for the heightened tensions on the United States. The IRGC urged commercial vessels transiting the region to follow Iranian maritime regulations in order to avoid potential attacks.

The incident comes amid a broader escalation of hostilities between Iran, the United States, and Israel.

On March 2, Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. The strait is one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, carrying a significant share of global oil shipments.

Since the announcement, shipping and insurance costs in the region have surged, while global oil prices have risen amid fears of supply disruptions. Analysts warn that prolonged instability in the waterway could have major economic consequences worldwide.

The reported attack also follows continued U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets that began on February 28. Iranian authorities say the strikes have killed around 1,300 people and wounded more than 10,000 others.

In response, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli territory as well as locations in Iraq and several Gulf states that host U.S. military facilities, raising concerns about a widening regional conflict and threats to international shipping routes.

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Trump rejects latest Iranian proposal to end war, US official says

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Iran’s latest plan would delay talks over its nuclear program until after the fighting ends and maritime disputes in the Gulf are resolved.

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U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly dissatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal aimed at ending the two-month conflict between the two countries, according to a U.S. official, raising fresh doubts over prospects for a ceasefire.

The renewed diplomatic setback comes as the war continues to disrupt global energy markets, drive inflation concerns and deepen regional instability.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Iran’s latest plan would delay talks over its nuclear program until after the fighting ends and maritime disputes in the Gulf are resolved.

That approach is believed to have angered Trump, whose administration insists that any agreement must address Iran’s nuclear activities from the outset.

A U.S. official briefed on a Monday meeting between Trump and senior advisers said the president was unhappy with the proposal because it postponed one of Washington’s core demands.

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales declined to discuss negotiations publicly, saying the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and had already made its red lines clear.

Iranian officials say their proposal envisions a phased process beginning with an immediate end to U.S. and Israeli military operations, followed by guarantees against renewed attacks.

The next stage would address the U.S. naval blockade and the future of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes.

Only after those issues are settled would broader negotiations begin on Tehran’s nuclear program, including Iran’s demand for recognition of its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear activities are peaceful.

Diplomatic Efforts Continue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has recently travelled to Pakistan, Oman and Russia in an effort to build support for negotiations.

During a visit to Moscow, Araqchi met President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly offered diplomatic backing.

Planned peace talks in Islamabad were also dealt a blow after Trump cancelled a proposed visit by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.

With no clear breakthrough in sight, oil prices rose again in Asian trading on Tuesday as traders focused on continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ship-tracking data indicated that maritime traffic through the chokepoint has dropped sharply since the conflict began, with several tankers reportedly turned back in recent days.

Before the war, more than 120 vessels passed through the strait daily. Analysts say that number has fallen dramatically, increasing pressure on global energy supplies.

Trump is also facing growing domestic pressure to end the war, particularly as economic concerns mount and public support weakens.

Iranian officials say Washington has failed to meet its military objectives, while the White House insists pressure will continue until U.S. demands are met.

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Turkey’s Erdogan offers support to Trump in call after White House dinner shooting

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan offered ​his support for ‌U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone ​call following a shooting ​at the White House ⁠Correspondents’ Association dinner, ​the Turkish presidency said ​late on Sunday.

“Erdogan said he saw the incident ​as a heinous ​act against democracy and press ‌freedom,” ⁠the presidency said in a statement on X, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Erdogan ​had condemned ​the ⁠incident in a separate statement ​on X, saying ​he ⁠was happy that Trump and first ⁠lady ​Melania Trump ​were unharmed.

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Trump safe after shooting at White House correspondents dinner, suspect in custody

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after ​a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.

The armed man fired at a Secret ‌Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.

All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a “shooter had been apprehended.”

“Quite ​an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” Trump added.

‘GET DOWN, GET DOWN!’

Shortly afterwards, ​he posted, “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.” He ⁠said he would be holding a White House press conference on Saturday night.

Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, said the service ​was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the entrance to the event.

After the sound of shots, dinner attendees immediately ​stopped talking and people started screaming “Get down, get down!” Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.

Security agents pushed cabinet officials to the ground, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Other security ​personnel in combat fatigues stormed the stage and evacuated Trump and his wife. Some security personnel took up position on the stage, ​pointing their rifles into the ballroom. Cabinet members were then evacuated from the venue one by one.

Trump and the first lady bent down behind ‌the dais ⁠before being hustled out by Secret Service officers. Trump stayed backstage about one hour, a source told Reuters. “We are staying,” he was overheard saying, the source said.

The event eventually was canceled for the evening. Trump posted on social media that he hoped it could be rescheduled in 30 days.

Saturday was the first time Trump has attended the correspondents’ dinner as president.

He was the subject of two ​assassination attempts in 2024, after ​he left the White House ⁠in 2021 and while he was campaigning for reelection.

The most serious occurred while Trump was campaigning at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. Trump was shot and wounded in his ​upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman. The gunman was shot dead by security personnel.

Just over two ​months after the ⁠Butler shooting, Secret Service agents spotted a man wielding a gun and hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was on the course. It was deemed an assassination attempt and the suspect was sentenced to life in ⁠prison in ​February.

The site of Saturday’s dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of an ​attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.

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