By Edilina Keithleen Barroga, Keith Candice Diño Marking the beginning of a month-long devotion, a program was held at the school quadrangle during the morning ceremony to officially launch the Month of the Holy Rosary. To start, the program began with a doxology led by the Salindayog Cultural Dance Troupe, setting a reverent tone for…
US, Iran Escalate Gulf Conflict as Trump Drops Strait Fee Plan
Photo via NBC News
The United States (U.S.) and Iran launched new attacks against each other’s interests in the Gulf on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump withdrew his earlier plan to impose heavy taxes on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Trump had previously threatened to reinstate a naval blockade on Iranian ports, which was scheduled to begin Tuesday evening, but said a negotiated agreement was still possible even as tensions escalated to their worst level since the April ceasefire.
Iran reported fresh strikes on its Gulf island of Qeshm, located along the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a vital route for global oil and gas shipments that has been largely disrupted since the conflict began.
The attacks followed U.S. military operations targeting locations across Iran, including the port cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas.
According to U.S. officials, the strikes were aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.
Local authorities said four sites in Bushehr—home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant—were hit, along with an area near the country’s border with Iraq and Kuwait.
In response, Iran attacked two ships in Omani waters within the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the death of one crew member, according to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)
A Norwegian oil tanker was also damaged by an explosion caused by an unidentified device off the coast of Oman, according to crisis response firm MTI Network.
As the conflict continued, Mr. Trump announced that he would no longer impose the planned 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he said the U.S. would pursue trade and investment agreements with Gulf nations.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Mr. Trump said he was replacing the proposed shipping fee with economic partnerships involving Gulf states.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Mr. Trump’s earlier threat, even as hostilities between the two longtime rivals continued.