WSJ: Saudi Arabia Blocked US Hormuz Op, Reversed After Washington Arms Threat

🛡️ RIYADH — Riyadh blocked Project Freedom — then reversed when US arms were threatened. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: WSJ confirms Riyadh refused US bases and airspace for Project Freedom, aborting the op. Washington threatened to delay critical air defense interceptor deliveries — Riyadh reversed. This reframes the Hormuz crisis: 80 mines persisted partly because Saudi neutrality delayed US operations. It also sets a ceiling on Riyadh's leverage: the kingdom folds when US arms are the cost of defiance.

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Iran FM Calls Saudi Arabia and Oman on Hormuz Security Before Thursday Deadline

📞 HORMUZ — Iran's FM calls Riyadh and Muscat simultaneously before Thursday. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Calling Oman — the back-channel host — and Saudi Arabia — proxy-war target — in the same window signals Tehran building regional cover before Thursday. Riyadh's buy-in neutralizes the Iraqi militia narrative; Oman confirms the

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Trump Hosts Netanyahu and Zelenskyy as Iran and Ukraine Wars Reach Critical Stage

🏛️ WASHINGTON — Two wars, one room, Trump's leverage pulls in opposite directions. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Netanyahu needs Thursday to restart strikes or lock a deal; Zelenskyy needs weapons and a Ukraine-Iran corridor signal. Trump's warmth toward Netanyahu and distance from Kyiv means both men lobby against each

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Saudi Aramco Weighs New Pricing for Egypt Route as Rerouting Costs Mount

🛢️ SIDI KERIR — Aramco repricing signals the bypass route is no longer cost-free. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Suez-Med was the Hormuz bypass — now that route costs enough to force repricing, the workaround logic fractures. Asian buyers face higher premiums or switch suppliers, eroding Saudi share in its growth market. European refiners

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Putin Praises Iran's Naval Forces in Meeting with Russian Military Officers

⚓ MOSCOW — Moscow just told Tehran its navy matters, at the worst moment for Washington. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Putin validating Iran's fleet publicly while Oman negotiates Hormuz transit mechanics resets the leverage table. Moscow signals it won't let Tehran concede naval posture as a bargaining chip — complicating any

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Iran FM Calls Saudi Arabia and Oman on Hormuz Security Before Thursday Deadline

Trump Hosts Netanyahu and Zelenskyy as Iran and Ukraine Wars Reach Critical Stage

Saudi Aramco Weighs New Pricing for Egypt Route as Rerouting Costs Mount

Putin Praises Iran's Naval Forces in Meeting with Russian Military Officers