JERUSALEM, Israel – New signs of instability have emerged inside Iran with a major shift in global oil politics, adding to the pressure. It comes as Israel steps up strikes in Lebanon to rid itself of the threat from Hezbollah.
Iran is in a “state of collapse,” and wants the U.S. to “open the Hormuz Strait” as soon as possible, according to a Truth Social post by President Trump.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran to increase economic pressure, forcing Tehran to find new ways to store its oil and avoid a crippling production shutdown.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained, “The blockade is not a blockade against shipping. It’s a blockade against Iranian shipping because they cannot be the sole beneficiaries of an illegal, unlawful, and unjustified system of tolling and control in the Straits.”
In a post on X, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote, “While the surviving IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) leaders are trapped like drowning rats in a sewage pipe, Iran’s creaking oil industry is starting to shut in production thanks to the U.S. blockade. Pumping will soon collapse. Gasoline shortages in Iran next!”
The U.S. naval blockade appears to be working. Iran International reported on rising fears of new protests, such as the ones in January, driven by a deepening economic crisis. with inflation, government crackdowns, and oil disruptions fueling public anger.
In another shakeup to the global oil markets, the United Arab Emirates announced it is moving to withdraw from OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) on May 1st. The move could weaken OPEC’s control over oil prices and further roil markets already strained by the Iran conflict.
Jon Gambrell of The Associated Press noted, “The U.A.E. is making this decision now as global markets are unsettled, and as it moves into the future, it will be setting its own path and potentially butting up against the OPEC that it once belonged to.”
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In Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces are stepping up operations, citing Hezbollah ceasefire violations. Israel is targeting the terror group’s drones and large tunnel networks, and has ordered evacuations in 18 southern villages as strikes multiply.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, “In Lebanon, there are monumental achievements: the elimination of the rocket array that threatens the entire country, the creation of a security zone that prevents the possibility of an invasion into northern Israel, and now, also prevents direct anti-tank missile fire, but also allows us to change the situation in Lebanon.”
He added, “We have freedom of action to thwart immediate and emerging threats. This is the agreement we made with the United States and also with the Lebanese government.”
In the latest on the peace talks with Iran, CNN reports that Iran is expected to submit a new proposal this week following Trump’s dissatisfaction that the previous plan did not address Iran’s nuclear program.
