PoliticalCookie

The Middle East isn't sitting on oil by luck. 150 million years ago, this desert was a warm, shallow tropical sea teeming with microscopic life. When that life died, it sank, got buried, and spent millions of years being cooked into petroleum by heat and pressure. Every war ever fought over Middle Eastern oil is ultimately a fight over ancient dead plankton.

🇮🇷 The IRGC seized 2 container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, releasing footage of armed personnel boarding both vessels. Iran says the ships were operating without authorization and tampering with navigation systems. The Epaminondas was struck by gunfire and RPGs before being boarded, sustaining damage to its bridge. Both vessels are now reportedly heading to Bandar Abbas and crew members are said to be safe.

🇮🇷🇺🇸 The Iran war is reshaping global shipping in real time, and the Panama Canal is feeling it. Lane prices in the canal have jumped nearly 10x since the war began. The most commonly used locks are averaging $837,500 per transit, with individual auction slots hitting $4 million in April. Five times as many ships are now bidding for space compared to pre-war levels. The reason: Hormuz closed, Asia lost access to Gulf oil, and suddenly everyone is scrambling for U.S. crude routed through Panama instead. Wait times for crude tankers are already at a 6-week high. When one chokepoint closes, another one strains under the pressure. The only ones winning are the Americans selling the oil. Source: Financial Times

🇮🇷 Iran airs footage of soldiers boarding two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Somali pirates are pissed.

🇹🇷🇮🇱 If Netanyahu's got his eyes on Turkey after Iran, he might want to reconsider. Their weapons are next level, plus they're a NATO member. It's a FAFO no one wants to see.

🇸🇴 Somalia just threatened to shut countries out of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. 12% of global maritime trade flows through that chokepoint. Every tanker, every cargo ship, every container heading between Asia and Europe passes through it. Israel recognized Somaliland as independent last year. Somalia's response: "interfere in our affairs and we'll cut off your access to one of the most critical shipping lanes on the planet." hahahahahah other countries now using Iran's playbook. Did the IRGC just open pandora's box? Source: Al Jazeera

In the last hour, explosions in Iran were heard, and reports flooded X of an ongoing attack Markets reacted instantly: S&P futures and crypto dumped and oil spiked, crude tested $100, all within minutes! We covered these reports as well, clearly labeling them as unconfirmed and included the sources, and were the first to correct the record once Iranian sources stated it was only air defense drills (although still nothing is 100% confirmed yet, there are no official statements, but we’re pretty certain there is no attack) What seems to have happened was IRGC air defense drills were ongoing, while at the same time Iranian fighter jets were airborne, as well as an Iranian helicopter patrolling the skies, and the U.S. Air Force had drills in Kuwait, all coinciding and leading to this mass confusing and panic. I was woken out of bed as these reports came in, and as someone who’s been saying ‘The War is Over’ for 2 weeks I was surprised. Glad there are no attacks, but this is a chilling reminder of how on edge the world is after this war.