NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Oil prices rose sharply in early trading on April 19 after renewed tensions between the United States and Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies. U. S.
Fraudulent messages offering ships safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a maritime security firm.
Scam messages offering ships safe transit through Hormuz, security firm warns Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm Marisks has warned. Marisks on Monday issued an alert warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to represent Iranian authorities, had sent some shipping companies a message demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin or Tether, for “clearance”. "These specific messages are a scam," the firm said, adding the message was not sent by Iranian authorities.
London [UK], April 21 (ANI): An Iranian supertanker has successfully bypassed a US naval blockade returning to Iranian waters after delivering 2 million barrels of crude oil via the Riau Archipelago, reports Fars News. The vessel had departed Iran in March to Indonesia and was making its return admist the US imposed Naval blockade.
UN chief urges freedom of navigation in Hormuz amid tensions UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and called for the full restoration of international navigational rights. His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said there had been “a lot of activity” and “a lot of confusion” around the waterway, adding that freedom of navigation “needs to be respected by all parties”. Dujarric also said recent disruptions have affected global supplies, noting that about 10 to 12 percent of fertiliser shipments are blocked and prices have risen alongside oil.
Seized Iranian ship likely carrying equipment deemed dual-use by US, sources say The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, maritime security sources said on Monday. The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with US sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman. The security sources, who declined to be identified, said their initial assessments were the vessel was likely to be carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia.
New posts 13:54 US Seizes Another Ship For Carrying 'Material Support' To Iran The US Department of Defense announced that its military forces had boarded a sanctioned ship called the M/T Tifani without incident in South Asian waters on the night of April 20.
New posts 15:00 Trump Says He Does Not Want To Extend Cease-Fire US President Donald Trump (file photo) US President Donald Trump has said he does not want to extend a cease-fire with Iran, which is due to expire on April 22.
Iran urges UN action over 'barbarous' US seizure, says crew families threatened Iran has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation over the US seizure of the Iranian vessel Touska, calling it an “illegal and barbarous act” that violates international law and a ceasefire agreement. The foreign ministry said the action was accompanied by intimidation of crew members and their families. “The Islamic Republic of Iran … emphasises the need for the immediate release of the Iranian ship, its sailors, crew, and their families,” the ministry said in a statement carried by IRNA.
Trump says recovering Iran uranium 'will be a long and difficult process' US President Donald Trump said late Monday the United States obtaining uranium from Iran would be "long" and "difficult" in the aftermath of last year's US strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites. "Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding: "Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process. " The US leader regularly uses the term "nuclear dust" to refer to Iran's stock of enriched uranium, which the United States accuses Iran of hoarding in order to make an atomic bomb.
Iranian citizen extradited to US over alleged military tech export An Iranian citizen, Reza Dindar, has been extradited to Seattle to face charges that he shipped military sonar equipment from the United States to Iran in violation of sanctions, the Associated Press reported. The US Justice Department said the 44-year-old was indicted in 2014 on charges including conspiracy, smuggling and money laundering. Dindar was arrested in Panama last July at the request of US authorities and transferred to Seattle last week.
Iran says cargo ship passes through Strait of Hormuz amid tensions An Iranian-flagged cargo ship, Shoja 2, has transited the Strait of Hormuz despite a US-announced blockade, according to Tasnim News Agency. The vessel departed from Shahid Rajaee Port and was reportedly heading towards the Port of Kandla, with tracking data from MarineTraffic showing it navigating through the strait. Tasnim also reported that shipping traffic through the strait has dropped sharply, with only three vessels passing in the last 12 hours.
Supply risks around the Strait of Hormuz are pushing crude higher, raising fuel costs and economic pressure worldwide Oil prices jumped on Monday after the US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, dimming prospects for peace in the war on Iran and raising fresh supply concerns.
Bread shortages and steep price hikes are undermining access to a key staple for many in Iran, with citizen accounts received by Iran International describing long lines, flour shortages and prices far exceeding official rates.
The container ship, the Touska, was sanctioned by the U. S. Treasury over links to Iranian weapons programs.
UAE raised short term dollar loan from US, threatened to use Chinese Yuan in oil sales: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 04/20/2026 - 18:32 UAE allegedly warned the US that if it was not guaranteed access to US dollars in case of financial crisis it might need to move to Yuan UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R) and the Governor of the UAE Central Bank Khaled Mohamed Balama at a reception in Abu Dhabi on 13 February 2024 (Mohamed AL-HAMMADI / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT / AFP) Off The UAE asked the US to provide a financial lifeline to the country in case the US-Israeli war on Iran dented its economy, even as it warned the US it could replace the petrodollar with Chinese Yuan, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. UAE Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama raised the idea of the US providing a currency-swap line to Abu Dhabi with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve officials in a meeting last week, the report said. A currency swap is an agreement between two central banks exchanging currencies.
WASHINGTON, D. C. : A few days after Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out extending the pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war, the U.
Prosecutors said that Shamim Mafi, a legal permanent resident of the United States, helped facilitate millions of dollars in arms transfers from Iran.
While diplomatic efforts struggle to stabilize access to the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions between the United States and Iran, Eurasian trade is increasingly being redirected toward overland alternatives, with the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, emerging as a key diversification route in Eurasian logistics.
BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Monday expressed concern over the U. S. interception of a vessel, after media reports said the United States had seized an Iranian cargo ship heading toward an Iranian port.
