May, 12 2026
Good morning, world.
The peace talks between the United States and Iran have been stuck for a month. On Sunday, President Trump dismissed Iran’s most recent demands as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” According to Iran’s state broadcaster, the country’s leaders wanted the U.S. to pay war reparations, end sanctions and — crucially — recognize Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s chokehold on the strait and the U.S. blockade are a source of global economic pain. But the ships occasionally making it out — a Russian oligarch’s yacht, two German cruise ships and the odd L.N.G. tanker — have also become a source of fascination. How did they pull it off? Who is allowed
La crisis del estrecho de Ormuz será recordada por muchas cosas, pero su legado más trascendental quizás sea uno que apenas ha entrado en el debate público. Ha acelerado el giro geográfico de Asia, alejándose de Oriente Medio y acercándose a una región que la mayoría de las capitales asiáticas han tratado hasta ahora como periférica: el Ártico.
Cuando el petrolero Voyager, con bandera omaní , llegó a Imabari el 5 de mayo
Two Iranian tankers are reported to have diverted to sail through Indonesia's Lombok Strait in an attempt to avoid the U.S. blockade (file photo from Iranian state media)
Indonesian officials said they are aware of the reports that Iranian crude oil tankers are transiting the Lombok Strait and cited the right of free passage. The statements came after reports by TankerTrackers.com that two Iranian-flagged crude oil tankers have slipped past the U.S. blockade and are routing through the passage east of Bali as an alternative to the more closely tracked Malacca Strait.
Segun Adeyemi
01 May 2026 06:45 AM
A growing number of global shipping companies are diverting vessels away from the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, opting instead for the longer route around southern Africa, as escalating tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt maritime trade.
Suez Canal sees heavy traffic as officials discuss large-scale transits. [Photo by Fareed Kotb/Anadolu via Getty Images]