Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near standstill after the US carried out a second day of strikes on Iran, raising fresh doubts about the fragile truce between the two sides.
Just two tankers had sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday, while the US-supported Omani corridor was empty of observable traffic. Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all of the ships crossing.
Meanwhile, Israel reportedly told US officials about an Iranian plot to assassinate president Donald Trump. Israeli officials shared intelligence with the US that they said indicates a new plot to kill Trump, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
Trump has had a target on his back ever since he launched an airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, during his first term. When asked about the latest reporting, the White House pointed to Trump’s recent comments: “They want to take out the US leader – me. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long”.
