Spanish
Iran attacked at least two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz this Wednesday and imposed an unprecedented demand: any ship intending to cross the strategic passage must obtain "permission" from Tehran. The Revolutionary Guards confirmed that they had hit the Liberian-flagged container ship Express Rome and the Thai cargo ship Mayuree Naree with projectiles, while the Iranian military command warned that all ships linked to the United States, Israel or their allies will be considered "legitimate targets". The Omani navy rescued 20 crew members from the Mayuree Naree, although three people were still missing.
The effective blockade of the strait, through which 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, led the G7 leaders to meet by videoconference to coordinate a massive release of strategic oil reserves jointly with the International Energy Agency. Germany confirmed that the IEA asked its members to release 400 million barrels and that it will comply with the request, while Japan announced that it is willing to act unilaterally before Monday without waiting for a formal decision from the organization. Despite this, crude oil prices rose more than 5% in the early hours of the day.
In the military front, Israel announced a new “massive wave of attacks” against Iran and Hezbollah targets in Beirut, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the operation will continue “without time limit”. Iranian drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, and the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains unseen in public amid versions about a possible injury, although the son of the Iranian president assured that he is “safe and sound”. Iran reported more than 1,200 deaths and 10,000 civilian injuries since the beginning of the conflict.
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