International News
US says Iran oil exports blocked at Hormuz
The United States has effectively blocked Iranian oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz while allowing millions of barrels of crude from other countries to reach global markets, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, describing the strategy as part of Washington’s efforts to weaken Tehran’s economy without disrupting international energy supplies.
Rubio said between 13 million and 14 million barrels of oil were passing through the strategic waterway daily, with American military forces escorting and protecting commercial vessels against Iranian attacks.
The remarks, made during an interview with Breitbart News on October 15 and released by the State Department on October 19, offered an account of Washington’s military and economic strategy in the Gulf.
“Today, on average over the last 10 days and certainly over the last 30, about 13 to 14 million barrels of oil are going through the Straits of Hormuz out to the global market, and some days it’s actually equivalent to what it was pre-conflict,” Rubio said.
The figures represent the administration’s assessment and were not independently verified in the interview.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, connecting oil-producing Gulf countries with international markets, including India and other major Asian economies.
Rubio said American forces were helping maintain shipping movements despite continuing Iranian attacks.
“And the U.S. military is involved in escorting and defending these ships from these strikes,” he said.
The Secretary of State claimed that Iran had lost control of the waterway following American military operations and that Washington was now using sanctions and a blockade to restrict Tehran’s oil revenues.
“The only country in the world that cannot get a single barrel of oil through the Straits of Hormuz is Iran,” Rubio said.
The assertion was not accompanied by independent shipping data or figures showing the volume of Iranian exports affected by the restrictions.
Rubio said the administration’s objective was to prevent Iran from using energy supplies and maritime security as instruments of pressure against other countries.
He argued that American military operations had significantly weakened Iran’s conventional capabilities, including its naval forces, air defences and facilities producing missiles and drones.
According to Rubio, the administration had sought to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon while relying on conventional military capabilities to deter international intervention.
He said Iran continued to threaten shipping even after losing much of its ability to control the strait.
Rubio also defended the administration’s economic measures against Tehran, saying they were designed to reduce the resources available to Iran’s military and allied armed groups.
“Every dollar you deny them in sanctions is a dollar they don’t have for Hizballah, a dollar they don’t have for Hamas, a dollar they don’t have for the terrorist militias inside of Iraq, and a dollar they don’t have for their own military or their own nuclear ambitions,” he said.
The Secretary of State acknowledged public frustration over the continuing confrontation with Iran but maintained that Washington had achieved important military objectives.
He described the current American military role in the Strait of Hormuz primarily as defensive, involving the protection of shipping while economic pressure continued.
The claims about Iran’s military losses, oil exports and the effectiveness of the blockade could not be independently established from the interview alone.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is a major transit route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipped from Gulf producers to international customers, making disruptions particularly significant for energy-importing Asian economies.
International News
Iran’s IRGC says two ‘violating’ oil tankers disabled by blasts in Hormuz Strait

The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that two “violating” oil tankers were disabled by explosions while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night.
In a statement on the IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said the two supertankers transited the strait despite frequent warnings from its centre for controlling traffic in the waterway about the “unauthorised and unsafe” nature of the southern route.
It added that the tankers were carrying more than 4 million barrels of oil in total, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The navy warned that the same fate will await any vessel that turns off its navigation systems in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf and cooperates with the U.S. military in crossing the waterway’s “unauthorised” southern route.
The Navy on Wednesday said a “violating” oil tanker caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday as the oil tanker was transiting the “unsafe and forbidden” region east of the waterway, the navy announced in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. It said that its naval forces are monitoring the strait’s eastern waters, stressing that safe passage through the waterway requires coordination with the Iranian armed forces and compliance with maritime regulations.
Separately, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi on Wednesday warned the United States and Israel against making any new miscalculation, saying that “any point that serves as a focal point for threats against the existence of the sacred establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a direct target of asymmetric operations.”
He said in a message carried by Iranian media that the armed forces would carry out orders issued by the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, without hesitation.
International News
One killed as three-storey building collapses in New York

At least one person was killed and 10 others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in New York City’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, authorities said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, officials confirmed. Four people were taken to hospital in critical condition, while six others sustained minor injuries, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
The FDNY said it received reports of people being trapped at around 4:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday after the building collapsed on the edge of a construction site in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn.
Videos from the scene showed firefighters digging through the rubble and pulling at least one person out of the debris.
Firefighters continued their search for another person believed to be trapped beneath the rubble and remained in communication with them as rescue operations progressed.
Several injured construction workers were taken to Kings County Hospital for treatment, although their medical conditions were not immediately known. Search and rescue operations were still underway following the collapse.
According to reports citing FDNY radio communications, at least 10 other people were injured in the incident.
Emergency response teams rushed to the site following reports of a partial building collapse at an apartment building in Brooklyn, with people feared trapped inside, according to FDNY officials.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) urged residents and commuters to stay away from the area around Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue following the incident.
In a post on X, the NYPD warned that road closures and traffic delays were expected in the area and advised motorists to use alternate routes to avoid disruption and allow emergency personnel to carry out rescue operations.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences to the family of the person who lost their life in the building collapse. In a post on X, she said, “My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani also commented on the incident, saying that emergency responders were working to secure the site and assist those affected by the collapse.
In his post on X, Mamdani said, “Flatbush Avenue is closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue – please avoid the area so rescue crews can work.”
He further said that the city would provide additional information once officials were in a position to confirm the details of the incident.
Further details are awaited.
International News
Iran designates Argentine Navy, Air Force as ‘terrorist organisations’

Iran Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the country has designated the Argentine Navy and Air Force as terrorist organisations.
The move came in response to the Argentine government’s decision in late March to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry described Argentina’s decision as “hostile and being in contradiction with the fundamental principles of international law,” saying Iran’s move was based on the principle of reciprocity and a domestic law on reciprocal action against the US designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
The law calls for equivalent countermeasures against countries that comply with or support Washington’s actions against Tehran, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported. The ministry held the Argentine government responsible for all consequences arising from the decision, stressing that the IRGC is an integral part of Iran’s armed forces.
The office of Argentine President Javier Milei announced on March 31 that Argentina had designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
The decision followed calls by US President Donald Trump’s administration for its allies to designate the IRGC and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations.
The Argentine government said the measure had been adopted in response to the IRGC’s support for Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group, which Buenos Aires blames for a deadly 1994 bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish community centre in the capital city. The attack killed 85 people and injured over 300 others.
Earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran had designated Britain’s Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Secret Intelligence Service as “terrorist and hostile” entities over the British government’s anti-Iran actions.
Meanwhile, Qatar said Tuesday that progress had been made in negotiations between the United States and Iran, describing recent White House talks involving Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as positive, while cautioning that it was too early to predict when an agreement could be reached.
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