China says blocking Strait of Hormuz not in international interest

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that it is important to prevent a new round of fighting and said Moscow is ready to help support a settlement.

"S. ⁠Lavrov emphasised the importance of ‌preventing ​a recurrence of armed confrontation and ​once again ⁠confirmed Russia's unwavering readiness ‌to assist in ​resolving the crisis, which has no military ‌solution," Russia's Foreign Ministry ​said in an account of the telephone conversation.

According to the readout, Lavrov welcomed efforts aimed at “long-term stabilization” and warned against renewed escalation in the conflict.

A tanker sanctioned by the United States for transporting Iranian oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday shortly after the Trump administration’s blockade on Iranian shipping was set to take effect, CNN reported Monday citing ship-tracking data.

The vessel, Elpis, registered in Comoros and partially laden with cargo, cleared the strategic waterway Monday afternoon, according to data published by Kpler, a global trade-flow analytics platform. T

he tanker was sanctioned by Washington in 2025 for its “involvement in the sale, purchase, and transportation of Iranian petroleum” as part of Iran’s so-called shadow fleet.

Oil prices are likely to remain elevated and could rise further until significant ship traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday.

Speaking at the Semafor World Economy forum in Washington, Wright said markets would likely remain under pressure until “meaningful” shipping activity returns to the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.

His remarks suggested a shift from earlier comments in which he had said oil prices would likely fall soon.

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the New York Times, accusing the newspaper of misleading readers about the state of the war with Iran and insisting the country has been “totally obliterated” militarily.

In a post on social media, Trump said coverage by what he called “The Failing New York Times” falsely suggested Iran was performing well in the conflict.

“Despite the fact that Iran has been totally OBLITERATED, Militarily, and otherwise, you would think that Iran is actually winning, or at the very least, doing quite well,” he wrote.

Trump accused the newspaper of spreading “FAKE NEWS” and demanded an apology, calling the outlet a “corrupt media organization” and asking: “Have they no shame? Have they no sense of decency?”

Afshin Kolahi estimated the direct cost of internet outages at between $30 million and $40 million per day.

Including indirect losses, he said, the total impact rises to roughly $70 million to $80 million daily.

He compared the scale of the losses to major infrastructure projects, noting that building a bridge such as the B1 bridge which was hit in an airstrike during the war costs around $15 million to $20 million.

The cost of constructing each megawatt of power plant capacity, he added, ranges from $1 million to $3 million.

Based on these comparisons, Kolahi said the economic impact of internet shutdowns is effectively equivalent to losing multiple infrastructure projects every day.

“In practice, internet shutdowns mean losing the equivalent of four B1 bridges and two medium-sized power plants every day,” he said.