Iran Conflict Escalation

US Marines board tankers in Gulf of Oman enforcing 'steel wall blockade'; US and Iran trade strikes for fifth day. Iran accuses Ukraine of attacking a merchant vessel in Caspian Sea; Zelensky confirms long-range strikes on Iran-linked military cargo vessels, linking Ukraine war and Iran conflict. Oil sanctions back, MOU dead. Iran's deputy FM admits sanctions prevent 'living'. A strategic overview frames this as part of a new type of world war. New: US and Gulf allies push a narrower UN resolution targeting Iran's Strait of Hormuz disruptions, courting China ahead of Trump-Xi meeting. US Treasury sanctions Iranian firms behind a Bitcoin-enabled shipping insurance scheme in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting revenue streams. EU sanctions Iranian judges and a cyber figure over human rights abuses.