Vard Aukra

Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran, which controls the chokepoint, has proposed tolls on vessels to safely transit.

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.The U.S.

Fincantieri and Princess Cruises signed an agreement for the construction of three new LNG-powered cruise ships. The vessel, part of a new “Voyager” class, will be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard, with deliveries scheduled for 2035, 2038 and 2039. While financial details were not disclosed, the contract has been described as significant and remains subject to financing and standard conditions.Each ship will be approximately 183,000 gross tons and carry around 4,700 passengers, placing them among the larger vessels in the Princess fleet.

The Pentagon on Tuesday unveiled more details of President Donald Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal year 2027, by far the largest year-over-year increase in defense spending in the post-World War Two era.In a new wrinkle, the Pentagon has created a category it is calling "presidential priorities," covering Golden Dome missile defense, drone dominance, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure, and the defense industrial base, Pentagon officials told reporters.Last year, Trump asked Congress for a national defense budget of $892.

Russia's Tuapse oil refinery, which sells most of its products for export, halted operations following a Ukrainian drone attack on April 16, two industry sources said on Tuesday.Ukraine has increased attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure as the U.S., which had brokered peace talks to stop the conflict with Russia, has shifted its focus on the war in Iran. The U.S. has also eased some sanctions on Russian oil to help reduce the impact of supply disruption in the Gulf.According to Russian officials, attacks on April 16 and April 20 on the city of Tuapse on the shores of the Black Sea, damaged transport infrastructure at the port and set oil product storage on fire.