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Mar 17, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's call for reinforcements to open the Strait of Hormuz just created the "worst of all possible worlds," according to one analyst. On Monday, Trump made several contradictory statements about whether the U.S. needs other countries to help it open the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts of 20% of all global energy trade. The Iranian regime has effectively closed the Strait to the U.S. and Israeli ships in retaliation for the two countries' conducting a coordinated bombing campaign in Iran that began in late February. Van Jones, a former Obama administration advisor, argued on CNN's "NewsNight" with Abby Phillip that the Trump administration's inability to deal with this problem in advance has created the "worst of all possible worlds." "My only point is it's this kind of ready-fire-aim stuff," Jones said about the administration's strategy in Iran. "There could have been a situation where you had the economic pressure, then the protests, then the military strikes, and you might actually have regime change. Now, we have the worst of all possible worlds, and it's not clear how to get out of it." Analysts have noted that Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is its "strongest card" against Trump, meaning the country is unlikely to bend easily on the issue. That puts Trump in an awkward position in a war that he has struggled to justify at home. A recent Washington Post poll found that 65% of Americans don't believe Trump has adequately explained the goals of the U.S. in deciding to bomb Iran.

Mar 17, 2026 - World

Lawyer acting for alleged Bondi beach terror attack shooter says 24-year-old’s mother and siblings have received death threats since December antisemitic shootingsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLawyers for alleged Bondi beach gunman Naveed Akram have argued the names of his family members should be suppressed due to fears “one or more of them may be killed” after they received death threats.But legal counsel for media organisations, who are challenging the suppression order request, argued there was no evidence before the court of an imminent risk. Continue reading...

Mar 17, 2026 - World

This live blog is now closed.Trump news at a glance: president threatens allies for not wading into strait of Hormuz as Iran conflict continuesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump drew a backlash on Sunday for suggesting US efforts to protect the Strait of Hormuz were unnecessary – and that “maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all” because his country has plenty of oil of its own.The president made the contradictory comment to reporters on Air Force One after pleading with European and Nato allies to enter the war in Iran to help the US secure the strait amid the largest oil supply disruption in history. Continue reading...

Mar 17, 2026 - World

A direct communications channel between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, Axios reported on Monday, citing a US official and a source with knowledge of the matter.

Mar 17, 2026 - World

US President Donald Trump said he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as Iranian strikes kept slamming into Gulf countries Monday.