Iran Seizes Two Ships in Strait of Hormuz as US and Iran Impose Separate Blockades

Iranian forces seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the region as the US and Iran imposed separate blockades on the vital shipping waterway. In the occupied West Bank, two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school, according to witnesses and local officials.

Separately, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a journalist.

Rescuers were blocked from accessing the building where the journalist was buried under rubble due to further Israeli fire, several witnesses said. Donald Trump, the current US president, is facing political tensions abroad and economic pressures at home. More than a third of Americans believe Donald Trump is doing a good job.

The Guardian reported that Trump faces a shifting landscape testing the loyalty of his supporters, with poll ratings at a second-term low and a cost of living crisis intensifying for millions. In UK politics, Keir Starmer was looking increasingly isolated over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Concerns were raised around the cabinet table regarding the dismissal of Olly Robbins, The Guardian reported.

A senior minister refused to say the dismissal of Olly Robbins was fair. Several mandarins called for Olly Robbins to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Keir Starmer to quit. Britain’s high military dependence on the US is no longer tenable, former Nato chief Lord Robertson stated.

The UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship with the US, Lord Robertson added. The Metropolitan police held talks with Palantir that could lead to buying the US company’s AI technology to automate intelligence analysis for criminal investigations.