Breakfast News Recap: Iran scrutiny deepens as Middle East tensions rattle energy, shipping and diplomacy

The United Nations mission on Iran said there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in its strikes, widening scrutiny of the conflict as Tehran faces fresh international pressure.  🔗 In a separate blow to efforts to monitor Iran, Russia and China vetoed a UN move to extend sanctions monitoring, while Washington also moved against Iranian crypto networks.  🔗

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Energy and shipping remained under strain across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is rerouting crude through ship to ship transfers off Oman’s Sohar port as disruption linked to the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues, and crude prices have climbed above US$105 a barrel, pushing up diesel, fertiliser and shipping costs for farmers and refiners.  🔗  🔗 Italy said it will deploy warships to protect commercial vessels through the Bab al Mandeb strait, as the latest Saudi Arabia and Houthi attacks left at least five people dead, including three children, amid claims over drones aimed at Mecca.  🔗  🔗

Diplomatic manoeuvring continued elsewhere in the region. The United States said it will allow an Iranian delegation to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, even as the war enters its seventh month.  🔗 In Paris, Emmanuel Macron held talks with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah II on backing the Lebanese Armed Forces and trying to end Israeli attacks.  🔗 At the UN, a Syria meeting turned into a dispute between Israel and Turkiye over military presence inside Syrian territory.  🔗

Security concerns also spread beyond the Middle East. Poland warned Russia may be planning hybrid drone and missile strikes against countries supporting Ukraine, including Polish territory, and Donald Trump said there had been major progress toward a US Army base in Poland.  🔗  🔗 Greenpeace accused Russia of deliberately sabotaging electricity supply lines at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, raising fresh alarm over nuclear safety in southeastern Ukraine.  🔗

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In Europe, France arrested a police officer on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and plotting violent attacks against state interests.  🔗 Germany reported a third death in a rare malaria cluster linked to Frankfurt Airport.  🔗 In Russia, voting began in a tightly controlled State Duma election expected to keep Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party dominant, while Putin said the federal budget deficit is expected to be about 2% on a conservative oil price assumption.  🔗  🔗  🔗

Asia Pacific saw several defence and policy moves. Japan’s central bank raised its main interest rate to a 31 year high as it keeps moving away from ultra low borrowing costs.  🔗 South Korea ruled out any military role in the Iran war and said it would only review limited navigation support, while also extending its fuel tax cut scheme for two more months to ease prices.  🔗  🔗 Australia’s Senate committee recommended a review of a Defence report into the 2023 MRH 90 Taipan crash after allegations of corruption, and Queensland police charged an 18 year old after an FBI tip off over alleged extremist social media activity.  🔗  🔗

Defence and trade ties were also in focus across the wider Asia and Europe corridor. The US approved nearly 50 F 35 jets for Saudi Arabia, a move now under congressional review, Serbia opened a factory to assemble Israeli made drones, and Indonesia received its first aircraft carrier from Italy amid debate over cost and purpose.  🔗  🔗  🔗 Canada said it wants deeper ties with the European Union as US tariff pressure pushes Ottawa to look elsewhere, and a family urged Donald Trump to raise the case of a jailed US scholar with Xi Jinping during his Washington visit.  🔗  🔗

In the Americas, Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna criticised Trump’s immigration crackdown ahead of the midterms, saying some measures had gone too far.  🔗 In the courts, a Mexican national and Utah restaurant owner was indicted in Salt Lake City on drug and immigration charges, a Bahamas national was convicted in Tallahassee of illegal re entry, two Kansas City area defendants were indicted over fraudulent PPP loans, and former investment adviser William Carlton pleaded guilty to securities fraud in a cherry picking scheme.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Elsewhere, the US approved up to $414 million in financing for a uranium project in Niger, a move that could reshape ties with Niamey.  🔗 King Charles warned AI leaders in Scotland about the existential dangers of the technology if it is misused, and Trump used social media to signal a push on the farm bill, rural aid and Republican momentum on agricultural legislation.  🔗  🔗

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