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US military is ready to restart Iran war if diplomacy fails
On Wednesday, the top U.S. General said that U.S. soldiers were ready to resume combat if Tehran did not reach a negotiated settlement. The Trump administration was trying to portray this 'war' as a decisive win against Iran. The remarks were made a day after Donald Trump backed away from a threatened civilization ending assault on Iran, on Tuesday night. Two hours before the deadline that he set for Tehran to open up the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials and Iranian officials will meet for talks in Pakistan on Friday. "We hope Iran chooses peace," said General Dan Caine at a Pentagon press conference. "A ceasefire, is just a pause, and the joint forces remain ready to resume combat operations if called or ordered --?with the speed and precision we have shown over the past 38 days." Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipe, its sole outlet for crude exports at the moment, was still hit by an Iranian attack despite the ceasefire. Saudi Arabia reported that it had intercepted nine drones in the last few hours, while Kuwait claimed to have been attacked by Iranian drones. US. STRATEGIC WIN OR GAINS? Tehran has claimed victory, and said it will enter the talks with no trust in U.S. negotiating teams. In a recent statement, Iran's Supreme National Security Council stated that the enemy had suffered a historic, crushing and undeniable defeat in its illegal, unjust and criminal war on the Iranian people. Pete Hegseth of the U.S. Department of Defense, on the other hand, described Iran as a defeated military power with no choice but to reach a deal. Hegseth, Caine and others spoke of the destruction of Iran’s missile and defense industries. Hegseth stated that the U.S. Military was "hanging out" in the Middle East, to "ensure Iran adheres to the two-week truce and monitor the country's stockpile of enriched uranium." He added that the United States will take action "if necessary." Hegseth said that President Trump could have crippled Iran's economy in just minutes but chose mercy. Caine outlined the tactical victories the U.S. Military had made, including the destruction of about 80% of Iran's Air Defense Systems, the?attack on 90% of its Weapons factories, and the sinking of approximately 90% of the regular naval fleet. Experts say that the strategic goals have not been achieved, as the Iranian regime is still largely intact. Tehran could be even more confident in the future. U.S. troops are in the Middle East, and that number is increasing. U.S. officials said that the movement of Marines from San Diego to the Middle East was continuing for the time being. In the 38-day conflict, 13 U.S. soldiers were killed and 372 injured. The vast majority had returned to duty. Last week, the U.S. conducted operations to save two airmen who had been forced from their plane after it was shot down over Iran. The successful evacuation ended one of most dangerous episodes of the war.
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Dublin and other Irish cities are clogged with protestors for the second day in a row over fuel prices
On Wednesday, protesters urging the government to help lower fuel prices clogged busy roads and motorways in Ireland with parked tractors and lorries. This caused a disruption for commuters as well as public transport. On Tuesday, convoys of vehicles converged on Dublin and other cities and towns. Protesters, including farmers and hauliers, complained that a 250-million euro package temporarily reducing taxes on gasoline and diesel "didn't go far enough" to cushion the cost of the Middle East Conflict. Christopher Duffy, 46 a farmer contractor, said: "With the prices we're paying for fuel, my business is probably just two months away from folding." He was part of the group that blocked Dublin's O'Connell Street, calling for a cap on the price of diesel. It's not much to ask really... We are?just in a corner." Ministers stated that they would not meet with the protesters because they do not belong to groups the government supports. The organizers have promised a third disruption day on Thursday. "We respect the right of people to protest, but it is not acceptable that people declare we will turn O'Connell Street?into a car park," Micheal Mart told a press conference. Tractors and trucks lining up O'Connell Street caused severe delays in bus services, as well as the partial suspension of two tram lines that traverse the city. There were also significant traffic delays reported on motorways leading to other major cities. At least one fuel station ran out of fuel due to protests at two fuel depots that blocked deliveries into Galway and Limerick, according to the head of the representative group for forecourt operators. Ireland's Government welcomed a ceasefire of two weeks in the Iran conflict and expected that it would lead to a drop in fuel prices in the near future. If they give us this phone call or meeting, Dublin streets will be cleared. John Dallon, a 61-year old farmer and agricultural contractor said that if they didn't call or meet with us we would stay for as long as necessary. (Reporting and editing by Janane Vekatraman; Padraic Halpin)
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FedEx Freight targets a 12% increase in operating profits ahead of the spin-off
FedEx Freight said on Wednesday that it expected average core profit growth in the range of 10% to 12% over the long term. This comes ahead of its first investor day, as the trucking giant nears the much-anticipated separation from its parent. FedEx's freight trucking division is on track to separate from the delivery firm?on 1 June into a publicly listed company. FedEx announced the move in December of 2024. Analysts claim that FedEx Freight assets were not fully appreciated by FedEx, and that it will expand if it is a separate public entity. The inaugural Investor Day is expected to be attended by FedEx Freight’s new CEO John Smith, and Marshall Witt, the finance chief. FedEx Freight is the leading provider of less-than-truckload services in the U.S. and sees its average revenue increasing between 4% to 6% over the next few years. LTL is the practice of 'carrying multiple shipments from different clients on a single truck. They are then routed through a network service centers, where they get transferred to trucks with similar destinations. FedEx Freight targets are set as U.S. diesel prices rise, delaying a long-awaited turnaround in the trucking industry and squeezing cash flow and profits of independent big-rig operators.
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Bousso: The energy market is in a twilight area because of the ceasefire between Iran and ROI
The Iran war ceasefire will bring much-needed relief to the economies that have been hit by the worst energy crisis in history. But hopes of a quick return to normal oil and natural gas flow from the Middle East are most likely misplaced. U.S. president Donald Trump agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire for two weeks, provided that Iran halted its blockade of gas and oil shipments through 'Strait of Hormuz', the narrow waterway which typically handles?one fifth of the global oil trade. Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, said Tehran would "halt counter-attacks" and ensure safe passage of vessels traversing the strait. Uncertain is the exact time frame in which the ceasefire will be fully implemented. Iran continued to attack Israel and Gulf states shortly after Trump announced the deal, highlighting its fragility. In its sixth week of fighting, the war has already claimed over 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen different countries. It has also severely damaged regional infrastructure including oil and gas installations. The financial markets welcomed the news. The Nikkei index in Japan rose 5%, reaching a new high. Brent crude fell 13%, to $95 per barrel, by 0300 GMT. Traders priced in an easing of the supply risk. QUICK RELIEF VAULT The temporary ceasefire and reopening the Hormuz Strait would allow Middle Eastern exporters of oil to move significant volumes that have been trapped in the Gulf since hostilities started, providing immediate relief to global energy markets. Kpler, a firm that provides analytics services, estimates that around 200 tankers are presently containing 130 million barrels crude oil and 46 millions barrels refined fuels in the region. Another 1.3 millions tonnes of liquefied gas is also stuck on vessels waiting for safe passage. The disruption was particularly severe for Asia, where 60% of its gas and 80% of its oil imports come from the Middle East. Following the abrupt cuts in fuel deliveries, several countries were forced to reduce industrial production and ration supplies. These trapped volumes could therefore be released to ease the greatest pressure on Asian economies and energy systems. The problem is not just clearing up the backlog. It is one thing to get tankers out of Gulf, but it's another to convince shipowners and chartered vessels to return. The unprecedented blockade on Hormuz caused a severe disruption to global shipping markets, as it reduced tanker availability and pushed freight rates up to record levels. Shipowners will likely be extremely cautious when reentering the area during what, at best is a shaky, time-limited ceasefire. They fear that their vessels and crews may once again get trapped if hostilities return. This caution will also constrain any attempts to restore normal export flows. OIL PRODUCTION IN LAG Kpler reports that Middle East oil exports via Hormuz fell by 13 million barrels a day (bpd), which is equivalent to 13% of the global demand. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were able to divert some shipments via alternative routes. However, regional producers had to close down an estimated 7.5 millions bpd production in March. This included 2.8 million bpd for Iraq and 1.9million bpd for Saudi Arabia. As things stand, it is unlikely that much of this production will return quickly. It can take several weeks to restart oilfields in the Middle East. Saudi Aramco, the UAE's Adnoc and other national oil companies may hesitate to restore production until they have more clarity about the duration of the ceasefire. Repairs to refineries, fields, and export terminals that have been damaged by drone and missile strikes could take months or even years. A shortage of skilled workers and specialised equipment could also slow down restoration efforts in the region. It is important that producers do not restart refineries and fields if they are unsure of the availability of tankers to transport crude oil, diesel, and jet fuel. If Washington and Tehran agreed to a permanent cessation in hostilities, which led to a full reopening the Strait of Hormuz and oil and gas trade could return to normal operations. Even in this more optimistic scenario, however, the war will likely leave lasting scars to global supply. According to Saul Kavonic of MST Marquee, who is the head of energy analysis, in the medium-term, oil markets could be 3 to 5 millions bpd tighter than pre-war expectations over the next several years due to damage done to export infrastructure, and the need to "rebuild depleted inventory", The two-week-old ceasefire that is now in place risks becoming a temporary fix to what has become a global energy crisis of unprecedented proportions unless the warring sides reach a more firm peace agreement. The opinions expressed are those of Ron Bousso a columnist at. This column is great! Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks.
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Sources and LSEG data show that Russia's Baltic Ust-Luga Port resumes oil exports
Three sources familiar with this matter have confirmed that the Ust-Luga Port has resumed oil exports, despite ongoing drone strikes. LSEG data?showed. According to LSEG and sources, the vessel 'Jewel' left Ust-Luga with 700,000 barrels on board. Loadings had been halted for almost two weeks. The Baltic port is capable of loading up to 700,000 barrels a day. Ust-Luga oil loadings were halted on 25 March after a heavy?drone attack from Ukraine?damaged the port. The attacks have continued during the suspension. Sources said that the Jewel began loading oil at the weekend, but it did not depart immediately due to drone attacks. The?sources reported that at least?one oil tanker was loaded on the Ust-Luga terminal on Wednesday. They added that drone strikes are likely to cause further delays in the operations. The Ukrainian military announced that it had struck Russia's Ust-Luga?oil?terminal? in the Leningrad area on Tuesday. This week, the Russian Sheskharis terminal in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was also closed after a drone strike. David Goodman is responsible for reporting and editing.
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As the Middle East conflict escalates, airlines cancel more flights
The global air travel industry is still severely affected. Many people are unable to fly to their destinations as planned after the Iran War forced the closures of major Middle Eastern hubs including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut and Tel Aviv to Amman. Flights to Riyadh were also cancelled until June 27. The airline has cancelled flights to Erbil, Baghdad and Dubai until June 29. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, says that flights to Tel Aviv are canceled until May 31. Dubai flights are cancelled up until October 24. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has cancelled flights until September 7 to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv from May 3 until now. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has suspended Tel Aviv flights to Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until May 3. KLM has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv and Riyadh until May 17. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled all flights to Dubai and Riyadh up until May 31. In April, the airline will increase passenger flights from London, Paris, and Zurich to Europe to meet the surge in demand. The U.S. carrier cancelled flights between New York and Tel Aviv, and has delayed the start of its Atlanta to Tel Aviv route till September 5. The launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv flight, originally scheduled for late October, was delayed. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES Customers who had planned to leave Israel by April 18 will have their flights, including return flights, cancelled. The airline is only operating a small number of flights. EMIRATES After a partial opening of the regional airspace, Emirates Airlines has announced a reduced schedule. ETIHAD AERWAYS The UAE carrier said that it operates a commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi, and about 80 destinations. FINNAIR The airline has cancelled all flights to Doha until July 2 and continues to avoid the airspaces of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. Dubai flights will only be resumed in October. FLYNAS Saudi Budget Airlines has suspended flights until April 15 to Dubai, Abu Dhabi Sharjah Doha, Bahrain Kuwait Iraq and Syria. British Airways, owned by IAG, has extended cancellations of flights to Amman and Bahrain until May 31, and Doha until April 30. They have also added flights to Bangkok, Singapore, and Maldives. In May, a 'third daily flight will operate between London and Mumbai. Abu Dhabi flights will remain suspended until the end of this year. Iberia Express is IAG's low cost airline. All flights between Tel Aviv and Tel Aviv have been cancelled until May 31. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines suspends scheduled Doha-Tokyo and Tokyo-Doha flight schedules until May 10. Japan Airlines has also announced that it will be adding extra flights between Tokyo, London and Doha until May 11. KUWAIT AIRWAYS Starting April 5, the airline will resume its flights from Dammam to India. The Polish airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. The airline also cancelled flights from March 31 until May 30 to Beirut and Riyadh. The airline will operate its winter route from Dubai to October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines suspended flights from Dubai and Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi until May 31. Amman, Beirut and Dammam to Riyadh. Erbil to Muscat. Lufthansa Cargo will be the same except for Tel Aviv, which is suspended until April 30. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, plans to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut through April 30. Flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman will be suspended through October 24. MALAYSIA AIRLINE Malaysian Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha through June 14. NORWEGIAN AIR Low-cost carrier has delayed the planned launch of Tel Aviv and Beirut service to June 15, The airline cancelled all Dubai flights until April 8 for the rest of the winter. PEGASUS Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights to Iran, Iraq, Amman Beirut, Kuwait Bahrain Doha Dammam Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharjah and Abu Dhabi until May 1. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline cancels flights to Doha until June 30, and Dubai until May 31. QANTAS Australia's flag-carrier is adding flights to Rome, Paris and London to meet a surge in demand for European routes. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to ten flights per week. A new schedule will be implemented gradually for flights starting in mid-April. It will run through to late July. QATAR AIRWAYS The airline said that it will gradually increase flights to Doha to more than 120 destinations by mid-May. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended the suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights until May 31. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa that operates flights to Dubai, has cancelled all flights until 30 April. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines have suspended flights from Europe to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until the middle of September. All flights to Medina are suspended permanently. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Louma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesnska, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani, and Bernadette Hogg. Sumana Nady, Joe Bavier, and Mark Potter edited the book.
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Turkish shares rise after Iran ceasefire deal, lira set for rare daily gain
The lira and airline stocks led the rise of more than 4% in 'Turkish shares on Wednesday, while the two-week Middle East ceasefire ignited a rally on global markets. The BIST 100 index of Turkey was up 5% at 1057 GMT. Meanwhile, the banking index was up by 9%. BIST 100 index fell 1.45% on Tuesday. Turkish Airlines shares rose 8%, while airline Pegasus's shares grew 7%. Following overnight drops in oil prices, shares in Turkish petrochemical firms Tupras & Petkim fell by 5% and 6% respectively. In a post posted on X, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz sharif announced that he had invited Iranians and Americans to meet at a meeting in 'Islamabad this Friday. The lira was trading at 44.5125 per dollar, up from the close on Tuesday of 44.6065. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, Turkey's 5-year credit default swaps, a measure for risk, dropped 31 basis points since the previous close, to a low of 254 basis points, which is a month-low. Since the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran began in late February, the currency has lost about 1.5% of its value. The lira is gaining real value with a 3.6% yearly?loss and an inflation rate of 10% in the first three months of the year. Prior to the two-week ceasefire, economists expected the central bank to tighten the main policy rate by a total of 300 basis points via the liquidity measures. The current main policy rate is 37%. The markets are now watching to see if the two-week ceasefire becomes a permanent arrangement, which may reshape the expectations of policy tightening during the next meeting of the monetary policy committee on April 22, 2019. (Reporting and Writing by Nevzat devranoglu; Editing by Daren Butler)
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Russia claims that some EU members are aiding rivals to Orban's election in Hungary
Russia claimed on Wednesday that certain political forces in the European Union are opposed to the reelection bid for?Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and are trying to assist?his opponents. The Kremlin intervened a day after U.S. vice president JD Vance accused the EU in Budapest of "disgraceful interference" in the April 12, election. Many opinion polls indicate that this could put an end to Orban’s 16-year hold on power. When asked about the leaked transcript of a conversation between Orban and Russian president Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said: "Many forces, both in Europe and in Brussels, do not want Orban to win again." Peskov, a reporter, said: "This is well known, it's obvious and, of course they're playing in the hands of those forces that are politically opposed to Orban and think that publishing such material could harm him." He did not provide any proof that EU officials were involved in the leak. A spokesperson for the European Commission said: "Elections is the sole decision of citizens." Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has personally endorsed Orban’s bid for reelection. This was a position reiterated by Vance on Tuesday in Budapest. Orban is a nationalist who has maintained warm relations with Putin, despite the Ukraine War and efforts by the EU, of which Hungary belongs, to 'isolate and weakened Russia with waves economic sanctions. Hungary is heavily dependent on?Russian gas and oil. Orban cited a dispute between Kyiv and Orban over an oil pipeline damaged by war as the reason for blocking the implementation of a?loan from EU to Ukraine that was agreed on in December. Bloomberg published a transcript in which Orban claimed to be at Putin's side and cited an Hungarian tale where a mouse helped a lion. Peskov said that Orban was shown in a 'pragmatic light' by the remarks, which he did not deny were genuine. Peskov stated that "he is a very efficient politician... a person who defends the interests of his country." (Reporting and writing by Dmitry Antonov, Alessandra Prrentice, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones).
Iran strikes Saudi Arabia oil pipeline hours after ceasefire
An industry source said that Iran attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline only a few hours after a ceasefire agreement was reached to pause the Iran war. It hit its sole crude oil export route ever since hostilities started.
An industry source said that the Iranians targeted Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline - its sole outlet for exporting crude - as well as other facilities within the Kingdom.
After?Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and trapped huge quantities of oil and natural gas in the Gulf, prices soared.
Sources said that the flow of oil through the pipeline is expected to be affected. Damages are being assessed. This could worsen what experts call the world's worst energy crisis.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that they had struck several?targets throughout the region using missiles and /drones. This included what the IRGC referred to as oil facilities owned by U.S. firms in Yanbu.
It was not immediately known the exact time of the attack, nor the extent of damage or impact on the pipeline operations.
Saudi Aramco, the pipeline operator and office of government communication in Saudi Arabia, did not respond immediately to requests for comments sent via email.
The United States, Iran and Pakistan agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire of two weeks that was mediated by Pakistan. This is meant to stop a six-week war which has claimed thousands of lives and spread throughout the Middle East. It also caused an unprecedented disruption to the energy market.
The agreement did not stop the attacks on other Gulf states.
Kuwaiti Army said an intensified wave Iranian attacks have targeted the country since 8am. Local time (0500 GMT), the Kuwaiti army added that drone attacks had caused extensive damage to oil installations, power plants and desalination plant.
Bahrain reported that an Iranian strike?damaged homes in the Sitra region.
Aramco uses approximately 2 million bpd from the East-West Pipeline capacity for domestic use, leaving about 5 million bpd to be exported. Shipping data revealed that Yanbu loadings were near capacity at 4.6 million bpd during the week beginning March 23.
A recent analysis showed that the pipeline's estimated oil revenues in March were higher than the previous year.
(source: Reuters)