US President Donald Trump has said that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stopping hitting each other’s energy targets amid concerns over the global spike in fuel prices – but his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky later described it as a proposal rather than a firm agreement.

Max Lederer, the former publisher of Stars and Stripes who was fired by the Trump administration from the military-focused newspaper last month, said on Monday that the paper’s critical coverage of the war in Iran was the “underlying cause” of the firings.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, serving as a key route for global oil and natural gas exports.

"The Gulf monarchies have little choice but to build a credible system of collective security," writes H.A. Hellyer

Arab states in the Persian Gulf called off a meeting with Iran planned for Monday, while Yemen's Houthis launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia after fighting that has extended the Middle East war to another theatre and further jeopardized global oil supplies.

Iran and its allies now hold sway over two key oil shipping routes, and Tehran is setting the stage for a diplomatic win that could enhance its stature.

Badly wounded and alone in Iran's desert, downed U.S. Air Force officer Dude 44 Bravo evaded capture for days as the Iranian forces and the U.S. military searched for him.

The details surrounding Iran’s attack on a U.S. naval base six months ago are just now coming into focus, sparking difficult new questions.