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The purported wreckage of a U.S. military drone is seen displayed by the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran. Tasnim News Agency/Handout

In this Jan. 19, 2012 file photo, a plane flies over the mountains in south of the
Strait of Hormuz as the trading dhows and ships are docked on the Persian Gulf
waters near the town of Khasab, in Oman.  (The Associated Press)

Some Middle Eastern countries that travel through it on a daily basis such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia — frustrated by the limitations — have reportedly attempted to find alternative routes. But the narrow passageway still controls the oil market.

There are several alternative oil pipeline routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, but not enough to make up for the amount of oil that transits the Strait.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), there are three pipelines that could transport oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that bypass the Strait: the East-West Pipeline, Abqaiq-Yanbu Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline from Saudi Arabia and the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline from the United Arab Emirates.

The pipelines are also limited. The East-West Pipeline allows only 1.0 million bpd, while the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline could take approximately 2.9 million bpd — a small fraction of the bpd that travel through the Strait of Hormuz on a regular basis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Strait of Hormuz is a tiny strip of water located between the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iran. It is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

What's it used for?
It is in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, which at its narrowest point is just 21 miles wide — with shipping lanes about 2 miles wide in either direction. It flows into the Gulf of Oman, where ships can then travel to the rest of the world.

Why is it so important?
It's essentially the gatekeeper to the world's biggest oil players.

Roughly one-fifth of the world's crude oil is supplied by Gulf countries, which depend on unrestricted travel through the narrow strait, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

The Persian Gulf oil exporters include Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Those countries transported almost 22 million bpd (barrels per day) of oil through the Strait within the first half of 2018, Reuters reports. Dozens of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait each day with most of the crude oil and natural gas going to Asian countries. If there is any disruption of oil through the Strait of Hormuz it could drastically affect the global oil price.

This map provided by the Department of Defense, Thursday, June 20, 2019, shows
the site where they say a U.S. Navy RQ-4 drone was shot down.  (Department of Defense via AP)

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The tension between the U.S. and Iran has reached a new height resulting in the downing of a U.S. drone by Iran and a possible airstrike that was called off by President Trump at the last minute. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Iran shot down a U.S. drone over international waters, though Iran claims the U.S. violated their airspace.

Iranian state television released images of what it claimed was a U.S. Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk drone it shot down with a surface-to-air missile.

With the U.S. pulling out of the Iran Nuclear deal combined with crippling sanctions, Iran has made several threats to disrupt the transport of oil through the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to order more military assets to the region.

US NAVY DRONE SHOT DOWN BY IRANIAN MISSILE OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ IN 'UNPROVOKED ATTACK,' CENTRAL COMMAND SAYS

Here's what you need to know about the Strait of Hormuz and its major influence on the oil industry.

Mnuchin confirmed he had not coordinated these sanctions with American allies – an unusual approach for a decision as momentous as targeting the leader of a country that, for now, remains locked into the 2015 nuclear agreement with the U.K., China, Russia and other key European allies.

Russia decried the sanctions as "illegal."

Trump has faced criticism for an unclear approach to Iran marked by unspecific demands – warning against its developing a nuclear weapon or killing Americans in the region – and reports of infighting among his closest advisers.

Mnuchin said Monday of Iran, "If they want to come back to the negotiating table, we're ready."

"We look forward to a time in releasing sanctions, if they're willing to negotiate," the secretary said.

Iran has indicated it will never negotiate with the U.S. while sanctions remain in place.

"We consider these sanctions as hostile and in line with economic terrorism," Seyed Abbas Mousavi, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said Monday before Mnuchin announced the sanctions.

Mnuchin said he will announce sanctions later this week against Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, one of Iran's most public figures who served an instrumental role in crafting the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered by the Obama administration.

The White House decision follows Iran's lashing out at existing, punishing sanctions – including against Qassem Soleimani, the shadowy head of Iran's elite Quds Force – that have crippled the Iranian economy and choked off its ability to sell oil.

It also comes at a time of perceived military escalation between Iran and American assets in the region.

"There's no question that locking up the money worked last time. And locking up the money works now," Mnuchin said from the White House briefing room, shortly after meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.

THE TRUMP administration escalated its "maximum pressure" campaign against the Iranian regime on Monday by taking the unusual step of sanctioning Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran's head of state and spiritual leader of its revolutionary government.

The new sanctions that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced will also target the assets of the senior military leaders responsible for threatening the shutter of the Strait of Hormuz and the commander of Iran's air force, who Mnuchin said was responsible for shooting down an American drone in international waters on Thursday. The secretary's assessment seemed to overturn Trump's assertion last week downplaying Iran's recent behavior, specifically saying that its shooting down a U.S. drone was "a very big mistake" carried out by a "loose and stupid" lower ranking official.

The Trump administration announced it would impose sanctions against
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran's head of state and
spiritual leader, on Monday. HANDOUT/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Such rants will have no effect on President Trump because he knows his approach to Iran is working – he has no need to offer Tehran concessions. Trump remains open to talks with Iran to find a diplomatic solution that addresses the full range of threats posed by Iran. If Iran wants to negotiate an end to U.S. sanctions, it will need to agree to significant concessions. The ball is in Iran's court.

The U.S. presidency is often described as the most difficult job on earth because of the enormous responsibility as the leader of the free world and the requirement of having to make difficult decisions with no easy answers that sometimes may result in the loss of human lives. President Trump has demonstrated with his careful and prudent handling of the threat from Iran how he has excelled at meeting the heavy demands of being America's commander in chief.

In addition, Israel produced clear evidence last year of Iranian cheating and lying on its JCPOA commitments when it revealed the "Iran nuclear archive" – a treasure-trove of documents stolen by Israeli intelligence on Iran's nuclear weapons program.

At the same time, while President Trump promised during the presidential campaign and as president to end wars and not start new ones, he has made clear on numerous occasions, including in Syria and Afghanistan, that he is prepared to use military force when necessary to defend U.S. interests and those of our allies.

Iran dodged a bullet last week when Trump decided to call off airstrikes minutes before they were launched. Contrary to claims by his critics, this was not a sign of indecisiveness by the president – it reflected his decision that airstrikes that could kill 100-200 people were a disproportional and unjustified response to Iran's shoot-down of an unarmed U.S. drone. Iranian leaders should conclude from this incident that the next time the president orders a military strike, they will not be so lucky.

The increased tensions with Iran are a result of Iran's leaders attempting to use violence and terrorism to force President Trump to drop his maximum pressure policy. Obviously giving into these threats would be a sign of American weakness and amount giving into blackmail. The United States also should not remain in an agreement because the other party threatens to attack us if we withdraw.

Iranian leaders reacted angrily to the new sanctions imposed by President Trump Monday, calling them "outrageous and idiotic" and claimed they permanently closed the path to diplomacy.

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Iranian leaders believed that mining oil tankers in the Gulf of Hormuz and shooting down a U.S. drone would force President Trump to drop his tough "maximum pressure" policy against Iran by reversing the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal (the JCPOA) and dropping increased U.S. sanctions. This was a reasonable assumption after eight years of President Barack Obama's incompetent foreign policies including his "leading from behind" Middle East strategy and his "strategic patience" approach to North Korea.

Iran's leaders were wrong. President Trump is not about to back away from his Iran strategy which has been highly successful in denying Tehran revenue to spend on its nuclear and missile programs, terrorism, and meddling in regional disputes. Instead, President Trump, Monday doubled down on his Iran policy by approving new sanctions.

The president also knows he made the right call in withdrawing from the deeply flawed nuclear deal which lets Iran continue nuclear weapons-related activities like uranium enrichment and does not cover Iran's missile programs and other threats it poses to the region.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S.  Thursday not to take military action against Iran following the recent downing of an American drone and attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking on a televised call-in show, Putin said U.S. military action against Iran – which Washington blames for both events -- would be a "catastrophe for the region as a minimum" and trigger an escalation of hostilities with unpredictable results.

The comments came just days after the Trump administration announced that 1,000 additional American troops would be deployed to the Middle East.

The Pentagon has said that deployment includes security forces and troops for additional surveillance and intelligence gathering in the region.

The downing of the drone by a surface-to-air missile earlier Thursday was the most recent Iranian provocation in the region, coming on the heels of a disputed attack on a pair of oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week -- which the U.S. has blamed on Iran.

Iran claimed the U.S. drone on Thursday was over Iranian airspace when it was shot down.
A ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying that Iran cannot condone the "illegal trespassing and invading of the country's skies by any kind of foreign flying object."

But American officials stated unequivocally the incident occurred in international airspace.

Tensions also have been running high recently between the U.S. and Russia, stimulated by the near-collision between a Russian destroyer and an American warship occurring in the Philippine Sea earlier this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures answers a journalist's question after his
annual call-in show in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday. (AP)

Attempting to understand everything is futile. Your perspective is always limited,
and there are things that will remain a mystery for you.

Be attuned to the rhythm of life and of the world. Do things at the appropriate
time, and remember that nothing lasts forever.

On Saturday, Trump praised Bolton, saying he had confidence in his appointee despite some disagreements on some Mideast issues, Politico reported.

Bolton added Sunday that no one had granted Iran "a hunting license in the Middle East," as he spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Mideast visit.

Late last month, Bolton had charged that Iran was responsible for attacks against oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates – and warned that the U.S. would strike back if attacked.

Bolton said Iran was "almost certainly" responsible for the tanker attacks.

Rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran has been sharpening in recent weeks as Iran feels the effects of sanctions imposed by the U.S. following Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran had negotiated with the U.S. and other world powers during the Obama administration.

Trump had repeatedly criticized the deal as not going far enough to ensure that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons.


tubagbohol.com's Rene BALONG Econg contributed to this report.

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton had a message for Iran on Sunday during his visit to Israel: He advised the leaders of the Islamic nation not to "mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness."

Bolton's comment followed Friday's confirmation by President Trump that he had called off a planned retaliatory attack against Iran following that country's downing of a U.S. military drone Thursday in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said he reconsidered action after deciding that the potential loss of life in a military action was not "proportionate" after Iran had attacked an unmanned aircraft.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton gives statements to media in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 23, 2019. (Associated Press)

na isog na ang iran kay kotob ra man gud sa hata hata si trump. gi birahan unta nija dajon. unya nangakak man. wala dajona ang retaliatory strike.

Iran claimed that the drone was flying over its airspace at the time of the shooting. Washington insisted that the drone was over international waters.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet The Press," Trump said that he did not think the potential loss of life in Iran was "proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone."

Instead of a military strike, the president noted that his administration plans to ratchet up the already hefty sanctions on Iran. Trump is prepared to announce new sanctions on the country on Monday.

Trump expressed his willingness to open talks with Iranian officials without any preconditions – saying that he doesn't want a war with the Islamic Republic, but if it comes down to an armed conflict it will be "obliteration like you've never seen before."

The Associated Press and Fox News' Andrew O'Reilly contributed to this report.

An Iranian military official said Monday that Tehran is capable of shooting down more American spy drones as tensions between the two countries continue to simmer, according to a report out of the country.

Rear. Adm. Hossein Khanzadi, Iran's naval chief, said Iran can deliver another "crushing response ... and the enemy knows it," according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

IRAN LIKELY AT 'INFLECTION POINT,' LAUNCHING ATTACKS TO CHANGE 'STATUS QUO,' DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY DIRECTOR TELLS FOX NEWS

Trump called off military strikes against Tehran after Iranians shot down a U.S. surveillance drone, which was valued at over $100 million.

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Iranian official warns more US spy drones can be blown out of the sky

An Iranian military official said Monday that Tehran is capable of shooting down more
American spy drones as tensions between the two countries continue to simmer, according
to a report out of the country.

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FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2019 file photo, an Iranian clergyman looks at domestically built surface to surface missiles displayed by the Revolutionary Guard in a military show marking the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran. On Monday, April 8, 2019, the Trump administration designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a "foreign terrorist organization" in an unprecedented move against a national armed force. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps went from being a domestic security force with origins in the 1979 Islamic Revolution to a transnational fighting force. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Julia Hawkins is believed to be the oldest woman to compete on an American track.

A Ghader missile is launched from the area near the Iranian port of Jask port on the shore of the Gulf of Oman during an Iranian navy drill, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. Iran says it has tested advanced anti-ship missiles in the final day of a naval drill near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-fifth of the world's oil supply. State TV says "Ghader", or "Capable", a missile with a range of 200 kilometers (120 miles), was among the weapons used Tuesday. It says the weapon can destroy warships. (AP Photo/Jamejam Online, Azin Haghighi) (AP2013)

kotob ra man sa pangisog si trump. hala bombahi na poslan man.

bitaw mag ampo tang tanan oi. kay lisod ni ug masugdan. mahimo na unjang WORLD WAR 3 kay labanay na man. molaban ang russia ug china sa iran. unya kinsa may mo laban sa US. ang pilipinas? ma pordoy ta kay daku ug gasto ning gera.

hala kombate na. cool lang ang iran. kataw-an lang si trump. porbida ning ahong manok. menos ug labok hihihihi

                                    VERSUS

I believe this is why Tehran in May opted for a riskier strategy of incrementally increasing pressure on America while whittling down its demands for resumption of nuclear talks. President Hassan Rouhani announced Iran would gradually reconsider its obligations under the JCPOA starting with retaining enriched uranium at home as opposed to sending it abroad. Then, the Trump administration accused Iran of attacking oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has denied the attacks, but Iran has often threatened Gulf shipping whenever it has faced sanctions and threats from America—a signal to the international community that the Islamic Republic is capable of obstructing oil commerce through one of the most strategically vital waterways. And then for good measure, Iran shot down an American drone. Tehran, I think, hoped that its incremental escalation would not lead to war, but generate a diplomatic process. It was a risky move, but one that may yet pay off.

Look closely, and you'll see that in the past weeks, Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif have also offered their own subtle olive branch. Rouhani stopped insisting that America rejoin the JCPOA as a precondition to talks while stressing, "We are for logic and talks if [the other side] sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate." Zarif has cautioned Trump, "You campaigned against costly stupid interventions," but a "conniving cabal of warmongers and butchers, the infamous B-Team, is plotting for way more than what you bargained for." By separating Trump from his so-called belligerent advisers, Zarif intimated that Trump can be a statesmen if only he dispenses with the reckless aides who are, in Zarif's words, tricking him into war.


Some in the foreign policy community at times suggest that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is opposed to any talks and will not permit his diplomats to reengage with the United States. But this is a misreading of Khamenei, who has routinely denounced talks in public while supporting them in private. After all, the talks with the Obama administration would not have taken place without his consent. In a recent speech, Khamenei claimed he had opposed the JCPOA and had warned Rouhani and Zarif not to trust the Americans. But he added that the executive branch, led by Rouhani, is responsible for diplomacy and that he himself rarely intervenes in such matters unless they threaten the revolution itself.

This tells us that if Rouhani in his role as the head of the executive branch wants to embark on talks with America, Khamenei will publicly express his skepticism while essentially allowing the negotiations to proceed. This is a convenient way for the supreme leader to disown controversial talks with the U.S. so that Rouhani will have to deal with any political blowback.

It's clear to me that the talks between United States and Iran are coming. And the challenge for the Trump administration is to hold fast to the Pompeo parameters. Ultimately, the legacy of Trump's Iran policy will be whether the adminisration can sustain its hawkish policy and move forward with successful negotiations or whether it will join its predecessor in abandoning its own sensible red lines for sake of an agreement at any cost.

The hysteria of war is once more gripping Washington. President Donald Trump reportedly ordered and later canceled airstrikes against Iran for its latest provocations. The litany of Iranian mischief is certainly a long one: Tehran has declared its intention to violate the Iran nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—by exceeding limits on enrichment stockpiles; it has, according to the Trump administration, assaulted oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, thus interfering with commercial traffic in an international waterway; and on Thursday it shot down a U.S. drone.

Having studied the Iranian regime for decades, I believe the purpose of all this, however, is not to start a war with America. More likely, it's to enter talks with Washington claiming to be the empowered party that has withstood America's strategy of maximum pressure. Before negotiating with the United States, Iran needs a narrative of success. And the events of the past few days, in which the Trump administration threatened and then backed off a military confrontation, have finally provided Tehran with a justification to enter talks with, in Iran's telling, a chastened Washington.


You could see this narrative develop on Friday, when—hours after Trump reportedly called off airstrikes—the podiums of the Islamic Republic proclaimed victory. Tehran's influential Friday Prayer leader Ali Akbari insisted, "The enemies also know that if they start a war, they will not end it." General Amir Hajizadeh of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps boasted that it could have easily shot down a U.S. spy plan, "but we did not do it." (Trump on Saturday nodded to the same event: "There was a plane with 38 people yesterday, did you see that? ... They had it in their sights and they didn't shoot it down. I think they were very wise not to do that. And we appreciate that they didn't do that. I think that was a very wise decision.")

The reality is more complicated than Iran's assertions of success. First, the White House abrogated the JCPOA without being isolated internationally. Then, it managed to gain multilateral support for its economic sanctions, as European businesses complied with U.S. demands over the objections of Europe's diplomats and politicians. By the International Monetary Fund's estimate, due to the sanctions, Iran's GDP will contract by 6 percent while inflation hovers around 50 percent. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo then announced 12 demands for a new nuclear treaty with Iran, sensibly suggesting that the U.S. has to address not just Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations but also its penchant toward terrorism and regional subversion. And finally, the administration has made much progress in reducing Iran's exports to zero.

In other words, Iran has much more to gain by negotiating with the U.S. than by continuing the confrontation. Iranian diplomats, who believe they came out of talks with the Obama administration with the longer end of the stick, think that if they enter any negotiating room they can easily beset their interlocutors. Stalemated talks will inevitably generate pressure on the Trump team by European allies and Democrats who will insist that the Pompeo parameters are unrealistic and must be abandoned. Many within the professional bureaucracy led by State Department diplomats, intelligence analysts and Pentagon generals are likely to echo these themes. The Iranians have seen these pressures and fears of another war in the Middle East drive both the Obama and the George W. Bush administrations to the negotiating table, and they hope the same factors will finally cause Trump and Pompeo to narrow their gaze to some modest changes in the JCPOA, rather than a total overhaul. But Iran's leadership, which has insisted to its populace for two years that it will not enter talks with a truculent Trump, requires a narrative of success justifying its turnabout. The regime cannot enter negotiations as a supplicant battered by American sanctions.

The commander in chief said the response now should be increased sanctions on Iran's economy.

"We're increasing the sanctions now," adding the country's economy has already been "shattered."

Trump said he believes Iranian officials want to negotiate and that any deal would have to be about nuclear weapons. He also claimed that Iran had violated the nuclear agreement struck by the Obama administration and other world powers.

"They cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said. "They cannot have a nuclear weapon. They'd use it. And they're not going to have a nuclear weapon."

Trump also disputed that he sent a message to Iranian leaders through a third country, saying he did not want conflict, dubbing it "fake news."

However, he also declined to send a message during the interview to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Wouldn't be much different than that message," Trump said.

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President Donald Trump warned the United States may launch a devastating military attack on Iran unless it comes to the negotiating table and drops its bid to develop nuclear weapons.

"I'm not looking for war, and if there is, it'll be obliteration like you've never seen before. But I'm not looking to do that. But you can't have a nuclear weapon. You want to talk? Good. Otherwise you can have a bad economy for the next three years," Trump said during an interview with NBC's "Meet The Press" airing Sunday.


The president said he'd be willing to sit down with Iranian officials without preconditions.

The comments, made during an interview taped Friday, came the same day Trump confirmed on Twitter that he called off a retaliatory strike on Iran at the last minute Thursday night. He said he decided that the potential cost of human lives was "not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Thursday it had shot down an American drone, claiming it had entered Iranian airspace, a claim disputed by the U.S., which has maintained the drone was over international waters. Both countries have since produced what they say is evidence supporting their respective positions.

Trump said the U.S. had a "modest but pretty, pretty heavy attack schedule," but planes were not in the air when he called off the attack.

Trump warns Iran of 'obliteration like you've never seen before'

Through entertainment and cheap satisfaction, we often seek to avoid criticism,
introspection, and self-improvement, but the joys of entertainment are temporary at best.

Bad things sometimes happen to good people, good things sometimes happen to bad people.
Don't overextend yourself trying to be good, or you'll be disappointed that you are not rewarded.

wala pa tay balita karon. maayo na lang nangakak si trump, wala dayona ang gi plan nga retaliatory strikes against iran. lisod na kay mahimo unyang pabilo sa WW3.

gubot kanunay ning atong kalibotan. di mawala ning gera gera. maajo unta ug walay gera kay nahilona na ko dinhi sa states. naay gamatoy nga balay, mga kotse nga kagalkal. ano pang hanapin mo.

kadtong nag subay aning topic, tune in lang mo sa youtube for updates. up to date ang balita bahin sa US vs. Iran

naka hinomdom na hinoon ko kaniadto sa SHEman pa ko pagka kita naho ining picture

An oil tanker is on fire in the sea of Oman, Thursday, June 13, 2019. Two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz were reportedly attacked on Thursday, an assault that left one ablaze and adrift as sailors were evacuated from both vessels and the U.S. Navy rushed to assist amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.(ISNA/AP)

Yet experts also generally agreed that investors' concerns about a drop-off in demand were keeping prices too low, especially based on what's often called the "fundamentals" – the basics of supply and demand. The question was what it would take to shake prices from their stupor.

"Oil prices barely budged on the news. This looks far too complacent," Steven Kopits, managing director of Princeton Energy Advisors, wrote in an email following last week's attack on the oil tankers. Predicting an increase in prices,he continued, "the risk on oil prices seems clearly to the upside over the next 10-day period."

Events this week seemed to provide that answer – at least for now. Between U.S.-Iran tensions, a potential end to the U.S.-China trade war and promising news from the Fed, Brent prices going into Friday afternoon were holding above $65. West Texas Intermediate was remaining around $57, but some analysts predicted it could reach $60 in the days ahead.

What happens with prices going forward depends on a variety of factors: If Trump and Xi signal significant progress in their scheduled talks next week, prices might jump. Conversely, Trump's disclosure Friday that he abruptly called off a planned military strike on Iran seemed to indicate that diplomatic and economic responses may still be on the table – perhaps avoiding a likely increase in oil prices caused by further military actions.

"From here, prices could go down $5 or they could go up $5, but it depends whether the U.S. reaches out to Iran or not. If it does, then oil prices will fall back to $62. If it doesn't, then we'll see another Iranian incident, after which there will be another very specific U.S. military response," Kopits says. "Then we're talking about Brent will be above $70 and WTI will be above $60."

The leap in prices amounts to a remarkable turnabout for a market that had seemed all but impervious to price hikes.

"We certainly did see a jump when this occurred, particularly when it wasn't clear what kind of response we were looking at," says Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. "It's a fairly good increase from where we were earlier."

While the escalation of tensions with Iran was the most obvious driver of the spike in oil prices, it occurred in the wake of other events this week that also may have had an influence.

The downing of the drone occurred less than 48 hours after President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that he would be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next week's G-20 summit in Japan – fueling hopes that an end or even just an easing of the two countries' tit-for-tat sanctions may be in sight. The Federal Reserve meanwhile indicated that it wouldn't raise interest rates and left the door open for a future cut, offering further reassurance to markets that there may not be a feared slowdown in demand.

In the wake of both developments, the S&P 500 – which Brent crude prices have closely tracked – and the Dow Jones industrial average had each climbed by more than 2.5% as of Friday.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some of this elevation in oil prices is due to a more favorable economic outlook," Wald says.

Oil prices are notoriously difficult to predict. Demand from the summer driving season typically drives an increase in prices – going into the Fourth of July weekend last year, Brent was hovering around $80 per barrel.

Yet before Thursday, global worries about an abrupt dropoff in demand – sparked by the U.S.-China trade war and portents of a looming recession – had kept prices between an anemic $59 and $61 per barrel since the start of June. They remained there despite falling inventories of oil worldwide, regional unrest in major oil producing countries, an agreement by OPEC members and Russia to extend production cuts, and even attacks last week on a Japanese and a Norwegian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz – events that once would have ignited fears about supply and sent prices soaring. Crude was fetching about $15-20 less than the same period last year, and roughly $10-15 less than analysts anticipated.

Booming U.S. oil production is perhaps most responsible for insulating markets from wild swings in prices, at least for now: Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in the past decade have propelled the country to become the world's top oil producer, and in recent months it's seen production rise even as dozens of rigs have gone offline.

"Underlying all of this is the fact that U.S. production continues to grow solidly this year, and it's also expected to grow next year, which is why if demand growth weakens, then the market could be looking at an oversupply," says Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president for oils research at the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.

BENCHMARK CRUDE OIL prices this week experienced their biggest jump in months after Iran shot down a U.S. surveillance drone near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting concerns about further regional unrest and threats to oil security in the Middle East.

Brent crude oil, the benchmark for global prices and U.S. gasoline, had climbed by more than 8% since Monday and by over 5% in just the past 36 hours, as of Friday afternoon, after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a retaliatory military strike against Iran. West Texas Intermediate, which tracks prices for the light, sweet crude produced in the U.S., had shot up by more than 11%.

Fire and smoke billow from the Norwegian-owned Front Altair tanker on June 13, 2019,
in the Gulf of Oman. Benchmark crude oil prices this week jumped after Iran shot down
a U.S. surveillance drone near the Strait of Hormuz.(AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, Trump said Iran had made "a very big mistake" in attacking the drone, which Tehran on Friday continued to say was in Iranian airspace at the time it was shot down. Trump also indicated he believed Iran's top leadership may not have ordered the strike, suggesting instead that it may have been carried out by someone "loose and stupid."

U.S. officials said the drone was shot down over international waters, where it fell after it was shot down. Officials from Iran claimed Friday it had recovered parts of the drone within its territory.

In a series of tweets Friday morning, Trump said the U.S. was "cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different [sites]" before a general told him 150 people would die in the strike.

Trump said he believed the strike was "not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone." He added he is in "no hurry" and that sanctions his administration has imposed against Iran are "biting." He said he added more Thursday night.

The strike would have been Trump's third against targets in the Middle East. He ordered two missile strikes against Syrian targets in 2017 and 2018. He also authorized a previously planned Navy SEAL raid in Yemen days into his administration in early 2017, which resulted in the death of one of the commandos.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Thursday night abruptly called off a military strike against Iran that had been planned in retaliation for the downing of a sophisticated American drone over international waters.


The New York Times first reported that the president had approved the retaliatory measure after Iran shot down a multimillion-dollar Navy RQ-4 Global Hawk drone with a surface-to-air missile near the Strait of Hormuz.

Military and diplomatic officials were reportedly expecting the strike against Iranian radar and missile sites as late as 7 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, with planes in the air and ships in position to carry it out. It's not clear whether Trump abruptly changed his mind about carrying out the strikes or if some unforeseen logistical hurdle interfered with the U.S. plans.

President Donald Trump originally approved the military strike after Iran shot down
a multimillion-dollar U.S. drone on Thursday, June 20, 2019.(EVAN VUCCI/AP)

Trump Calls Off Retaliatory Strike Against Iran
Hours after Iran reportedly downed a sophisticated U.S. drone, the president recalled a military strike after it launched.

By Paul D. Shinkman, Senior National Security Writer June 21, 2019, at 9:27 a.m.

presko ug lab-as jud ni nga balita. this is the latest news

na anghelan. gi recall ni trump ang retaliatory strike against iran

dili nimo ni ma basa sa manila daily inquirer, cebu daily news, bohol standard. anhi ra ni nimo masubay sa tubagbohol kronikol. busa ayaw ninyo sipyata .

mao ni mahimong resulta. killed ta tanan ug mahimong nuclear warfare. wala tay ka daganan

continuous ang atong coverage kay thrilling na ni ug sugod. nanimahong komo hihihihi. lisod ug ma dajon ni unja mahimong nuclear. patay tanan hasta ok-ok

A top Democrat says President Donald Trump "certainly listened" to what lawmakers had to say during a White House meeting Thursday on the situation in Iran.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says congressional leaders urged the president to work with U.S. allies. They stressed the "need for de-escalation" and cautioned the administration about "the risk of unintended consequences" amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Schiff told The Associated Press, "The president certainly listened to what we had to say."

The California Democrat says he doesn't know how the administration will respond. He says he underscored that the administration cannot rely on the authorization for use of military force approved after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

He says the meeting was "cordial" and not confrontational.

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6:15 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is urging a "strategic, smart" response, in concert with U.S. allies, to the downing of an unmanned U.S. drone by Iran.

Pelosi says the "high-tension wires are up" in the region and says the U.S. "must do everything we can not to escalate the situation, but also to make sure our personnel in the region are safe."

The California Democrat tells reporters it is not clear whether the incident was an intentional attack, but adds, "whatever it is, it was Iranian."

She says Democrats made it clear to President Donald Trump at a meeting Thursday that the White House would need authorization from Congress before launching military action against Iran.

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5:30 p.m.

Top Democrats are warning President Donald Trump that he would need authorization from Congress before launching military action against Iran.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he told the president during a classified briefing at the White House that there must be a "robust, open debate" and Congress should "have a real say."

He said he's worried the administration "may bumble into a war."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the administration should engage with U.S. allies "and do everything in our power to de-escalate."

The more-than-hourlong briefing on Iran was attended by leaders of both parties.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said afterward that he could confirm that a drone shot down by Iran was flying over international waters. He says the drone was fired upon from Iranian soil.

__

5 p.m.

Top administration officials and lawmakers have left the White House after a more than hourlong briefing about Iran's downing of an American surveillance drone in the Middle East amid mounting tension between the U.S. and Iran.

The White House invited House and Senate leaders and Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence and Armed Services committees to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday.

Others who arrived for the meeting included CIA Director Gina Haspel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Army Secretary Mark Esper, who Trump has said he'll nominate as defense secretary.

Shanahan was carrying a folder stamped "SECRET/NOFORN," an intelligence classification category prohibiting distribution to anyone outside the United States government.

___

3:30 p.m.

Top administration officials and lawmakers are arriving at the White House for a briefing about Iran's downing of an American surveillance drone in the Middle East amid mounting tension between the U.S. and Iran.

The White House invited House and Senate leaders of both parties and Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence and Armed Services committees to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday.

It's unclear if Trump is planning a U.S. response. He told reporters that Iran made a "very big mistake" but also said he has the feeling that it might have been the result of someone being "loose" or doing something "stupid."

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Army Secretary Mark Esper, who Trump has said he'll nominate as defense secretary, also arrived for the meeting.

___

3:10 p.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says that President Donald Trump has made military conflict with Iran more likely and that "another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need."

Biden made the remarks Thursday as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated over the downing of an American drone over Iranian airspace.

Biden says Trump's strategy in Iran is "a self-inflicted disaster" since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated when Biden was vice president.

Biden says there's no question that Iran "continues to be a bad actor that abuses human rights and supports terrorist activities." But he says the U.S. needs presidential leadership at this moment.

___

2:55 p.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand is demanding that President Donald Trump abstain from sending American troops into a conflict with Iran without congressional approval.

The New York senator outlined her position in a sharply worded letter to the White House on Thursday.

Gillibrand writes that she's "deeply concerned that your administration's stepped up military presence in the Middle East, in conjunction with your dangerous and confusing rhetoric, may lead the United States into a protracted, costly, and unnecessary war with Iran. Such a war is not authorized, would unnecessarily risk the lives of Americans and our allies, cause enormous human suffering, and destabilize the economy."

Gillibrand's position is not unique in her party, but she becomes one of the first Democratic presidential candidates to share her concerns with the White House directly.

___

1:50 p.m.

The White House is inviting House and Senate leaders for a briefing with President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon to discuss tensions with Iran.

That's according to two people familiar with the invitation who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

In addition to House and Senate leaders of both parties, the White House extended the invitation to the top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence and Armed Services committees.

The briefing comes after Iran's Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. surveillance drone. Trump said it might have been a mistake executed by someone just being "loose and stupid" and was coy about whether the U.S. would respond. He told reporters, "you'll find out."

— Mary Clare Jalonick

___

12:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is playing down Iran's downing of an American drone, saying that it might have been a mistake executed by someone just being "loose and stupid."

Trump told reporters Thursday that the shoot down of the drone was a "new wrinkle" in escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran — a "fly in the ointment."

He was coy about whether the U.S. would respond, saying only that "you'll find out."

He said he has a feeling that it was a mistake — that a "general or somebody" made a mistake in shooting that drone down.

But he added that Iran made a "big mistake" and that the U.S. "will not stand for it."

Trump's words appear to signal that there may not be an immediate U.S. response to the incident.

___

12:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Iran made a "very big mistake" when it shot down a U.S. drone, but he isn't saying how the U.S. plans to respond, saying only "you're going to find out."

Trump is speaking to reporters while meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated over the downing of the drone, the U.S. exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and sanctions crippling Iran's economy.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace. The U.S. military is calling the downing an "unprovoked attack" and said it occurred over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said: "It was in international waters."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it shot down the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone over Iranian airspace.

___

12:20 p.m.

A senior U.S. military official says Iran shot down an unmanned American aircraft over international waters in an attempt to disrupt U.S. efforts to monitor the Persian Gulf area.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella says the shooting down of the drone follows recent threats to international shipping commerce in the region that the U.S. has blamed on Iran.

The commander of U.S. Central Command air forces in the region disputed Iranian claims that the drone was over Iranian air space.

Guastella told reporters Thursday that the aircraft was at high altitude and at least 34 kilometers from Iranian territory when it was shot over the Gulf of Oman.

___

11:05 a.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the U.S. cannot be "reckless" amid rising tensions with Iran.

Pelosi said Thursday she doesn't think President Donald Trump wants to go to war. And she said the American people don't want war either.

"There's no appetite for going to war in our country," she said.

The country needs to be "strong and strategic" about protecting its interests, Pelosi said, and "cannot be reckless."

Pelosi called a caucus-wide meeting of Democrats for later Thursday on Iran. House and Senate leadership will also be briefed by administration officials.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been rising over the collapsing nuclear deal with world powers. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. surveillance drone.

___

10:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that "Iran made a very big mistake" in shooting down a U.S. drone.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump was briefed Wednesday night and again Thursday morning about the incident. She says the administration also will keep in touch with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Trump made his comment on Twitter in midmorning.

American and Iranian officials are disputing the circumstances of the incident.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace. The U.S. military is calling the downing an "unprovoked attack" and said it occurred over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. official says the military made preparations Thursday night for limited strikes on Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, but approval was abruptly withdrawn before the attacks were launched.

The official, who was not authorized to discuss the operation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, says the targets would have included radars and missile batteries.

The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump had approved the strikes, but then called them off. The newspaper cited anonymous senior administration officials.

The White House on Thursday night declined requests for information about whether Trump changed his mind.

Trump spent most of Thursday discussing Iran strategy with top national security advisers and congressional leaders. Asked earlier in the day about a U.S. response to the attack, he said, "You'll soon find out."

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Outgoing acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan arrives for a meeting with
President Donald Trump about Iran carrying a folder marked secret, at the
White House, Thursday, June 20, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

American officials, however, insist the pressure campaign has proven successful in isolating Iran's ability to sell its oil and raise the cash it needs. Hook said Wednesday, "our pressure campaign is working."

He described it as "an economic and diplomatic one," adding "Iran has not responded to this in a diplomatic fashion."

"It has responded to it with violence, and we very much believe Iran should meet diplomacy with diplomacy, not with terror, bloodshed and distortion."

Following reports in early May that Iran posed a new threat, the U.S. expedited deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region, and sent a strategic bomber group. It has subsequently bolstered its military presence, including acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan's confirming on Monday he would send 1,000 more forces to the region to help protect those already there.

The strike followed U.S. confirmation that Iranian proxies in Yemen had tried to shoot down another American drone that was surveilling two cargo ships that were disabled by some sort of explosion a week ago. Top U.S. officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department affirm that Iran was solely behind the attack, deploying operatives who placed limpet mines on the ships while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane near Iranian waters.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, successfully shot down another U.S. drone the week before.

Senior members of Congress have expressed concern that the Trump administration may preemptively attack Iran under congressional authorization from 2001 that allowed the U.S. to pursue the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks and their associates. Top Trump officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have insisted in recent weeks that Tehran is coordinating with al-Qaida leaders.

The Trump administration's top envoy to Iran, Special Representative Brian Hook, on Wednesday refused to answer questions from a special meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding whether the Trump administration believed it has such authority.

"If the use of military force is necessary to defend U.S. national security interests, we will do everything we need to do," Hook said.

It was not immediately clear Thursday morning whether the U.S. considered Iran's shooting down its drone as a threat to its national security interests.

Analysts last week said suspicion that the Iranian military carried out the attacks on the cargo ships – rather than farming the job out to a proxy group and granting Tehran deniability – served as evidence that the Trump administration's pressure campaign has forced Iran to act with greater desperation.

Top officials from each country have stated they do not intend to start a war. But both the U.S. and Iran have increasingly turned to military options in response to a string of contentious incidents in recent days, sparking fears that a military escalation following an incident like Thursday's could prove inevitable.

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said shooting down the American drone should serve as a warning that the U.S. should "stay away," Iranian state media reported Thursday morning.

"Borders are our red lines and any enemy which violates them will not go back home and will be annihilated. The only way for enemies is to respect Iran's territorial integrity and national interests," Salami said. "We declare that we do not want war with any country but we are fully ready for war and the [incident today] was a clear instance of this precise message."

In an unprecedented move, Iran said earlier this week it plans to break from the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, which analysts considered a threat it would pursue nuclear weapons if the U.S. did not dial back its sanctions regime.

Iran shot down a U.S. drone near Iranian airspace in what Tehran calls a "clear message" to the U.S. that it will respond to what it perceives as acts of aggression.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, confirmed the incident early Thursday, saying an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down the unarmed RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone. The headquarters disputed as "false" Iranian claims that the drone was operating in Iranian airspace.

"This was an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset in international airspace," Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the command, said in a statement.

The incident comes at a time of particularly high tensions between Washington and Tehran, following U.S. claims that Iran as of last month presents new and dangerous threats to Americans and their allies in the region. The Trump administration has unilaterally withdrawn itself from the 2015 agreement restricting Iran's nuclear capabilities but also limiting America's ability to impose harsh sanctions, and followed through with what it considers a "maximum pressure campaign" against the Iranian regime.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami, said shooting down the American drone should
serve as a warning that the U.S. should "stay away," Iranian state media reported Thursday morning

WASHINGTON (AP) — THE Latest on the United States and Iran

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the U.S. cannot be "reckless" amid rising tensions with Iran.

Pelosi said Thursday she doesn't think President Donald Trump wants to go to war. And she said the American people don't want war either.

"There's no appetite for going to war in our country," she said.

The country needs to be "strong and strategic" about protecting its interests, Pelosi said, and "cannot be reckless."

Pelosi called a caucus-wide meeting of Democrats for later Thursday on Iran. House and Senate leadership will also be briefed by administration officials.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been rising over the collapsing nuclear deal with world powers. On Thursday Iran's Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. surveillance drone.

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that "Iran made a very big mistake" in shooting down a U.S. drone.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump was briefed Wednesday night and again Thursday morning about the incident. She says the administration also will keep in touch with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Trump made his comment on Twitter in midmorning.

American and Iranian officials are disputing the circumstances of the incident.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace. The U.S. military is calling the downing an "unprovoked attack" and said it occurred over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz.

5163

In this June 13, 2019 file photo, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks
during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Nostalgia is a mirage. In the present, you notice only the bad and overlook the good, and
with time, you forget the bad and exaggerate the good, so that the past always seems better.
It is wiser to learn how to see the good right now, than to long for days gone by.

Don't overthink things, or you won't get anything done.

Don't trouble yourself with public opinion of you, or take offense at others' dislike of
you. And don't feel superior to them- you've gossiped just the same.

Whatever you do, you must do for reasons that are true to yourself, and not
out of a desire to best your peers.

If something seems novel and revolutionary to us, it is only because our perspective
is narrow, and we cannot see how the pattern repeats itself. Nothing has value simply
by virtue of being "new".

Now, he believes he's ready to love again.

"I'm so happy I met her (Kylie) at this point in my life. I'm more mature when it comes to relationships. I'm more disciplined and I know I can take care of her," he said. "I work hard every day, because I want to deserve her every day."

While Jake is upfront about his feelings for Kylie, the model-turned-actress is more reticent. But that's understandable, he said. "This is something new to her," he pointed out. "If we were to confirm our [relationship status], I would rather do it by her side."

In "KontrAdiksyon"—produced by Bell Films and directed by Palanca Award-winner Njel de Mesa—Jake plays Alexis Borlaza, a human rights activist whose family gets brutally murdered by drug addicts.

Realizing that the drug problem in the country isn't as simple as it seems, Alexis later enlists as an undercover agent for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. But unknown to his colleagues, he also works as a vigilante by night.

Given the movie's central theme, what is Jake's thoughts on President Duterte's war on drugs?

"I don't have so much of an opinion—I don't want to sound hypocritical because I didn't vote. I didn't get to add anything to the cause and I didn't take anything away," he said. "This is the administration leading our country—there are still a few years left—I think we should follow the rules."

His character, Jake added, doesn't necessarily reflect his personal beliefs. "I leave Jake Cuenca at home. There's no Jake Cuenca on the set."

On his thoughts about being part of a potentially controversial or polarizing film, Jake doesn't seem to be too worried about the possible negative feedback.

"In the United States, do they think about the repercussions when they do a movie like 'John Wick' ... or 'J. Edgar'? Do they think about the controversy that may come about? No, they just want to be honest with their films," he said. "All I thought about was I wanted to do the film after reading the script."

Jake Cuenca is often seen and photographed being cozy with former beauty queen Kylie Verzosa, but the actor still wouldn't "officially" confirm that they're already in a relationship.

One thing's for sure though: "This is the happiest I have ever been."

"I'm very open about how I feel. And I do love her from the bottom of my heart—mahal na mahal ko siya," he told reporters at a recent press conference for "KontrAdiksyon," an upcoming drama-action film that centers on the war on drugs.

Kylie first caught Jake's attention in 2017, while shooting the action-fantasy flick "Ang Panday."

"The first time I saw her, I was already sort of crushing on her. But obviously, she was still in a relationship at that time," he related. "But I thought, maybe we will get to work together again."

True enough, the two ended up being paired together for the drama series "Los Bastardos"—this time, without hitches. "She's such an amazing person," he said of the Miss International 2016 titleholder, whom he has been dating for seven months. "Her being a beauty queen goes beyond her looks. She's amazing inside and out."

After his breakup with model Sara Grace Kelley in 2016, the 31-year-old hunk vowed to focus his energy on improving himself as an actor. And he did. For the next two years, he underwent workshops, did a handful of shows, and even dabbled in theater acting.

Well, it finally happened. After months of speculation, some of the most contentious and public trade negotiations the NBA has ever seen and changes at the top of both team's management structure, Anthony Davis has finally gotten his wish and will join LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, with L.A. sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three future first-round picks to to David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans in return.

kandidato na pod nga ma champion ang lakers kay naa na may sidekick si james

The Japanese tanker's Tokyo-based operator Kokuka confirmed on Saturday the stricken vessel was heading to port in the UAE.

"We still don't know if the tanker goes to Khor Fakkan or Fujairah as they are very close," said a spokesperson, referring to the two Emirati ports on the Gulf of Oman.

Maritime experts would then seek to transfer the highly flammable cargo to shore, according to an unnamed official quoted by Japanese state media.

The other ship, the Front Altair, has left Iran's territorial waters, multiple sources said on Saturday.

The ship is "heading toward the Fujairah-Khor Fakkan area" in the UAE, the head of ports for Iran's southern province of Hormozgan told the semi-official news agency ISNA.

The tanker "has left Iran's territorial waters", he said, adding that it was being towed and sprayed with water to cool the hull.

A spokesperson for Frontline Management, the Norwegian company which owns the ship, said "all 23 crew members of the tanker departed Iran" and flew to Dubai on Saturday.

"All crew members are well and have been well looked after while in Iran," she said.

UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday called on world powers "to secure international navigation and access to energy", a plea echoed by regional ally Saudi Arabia after the incident sent crude oil prices soaring.

Saudi Arabia calls for 'decisive' action over tanker attacks
Iran has repeatedly warned in the past that it could block the strategic Hormuz Strait in a relatively low-tech, high-impact countermeasure to any attack by the US.

Doing so would disrupt oil tankers travelling out of the Gulf region to the Indian Ocean and global export routes.

The UAE's Sheikh Abdullah, whose country is bitterly opposed to Iranian influence in the region, called for a de-escalation of tensions.

"We remain hopeful in attaining a broader framework for cooperation with Iran," he said at a summit in Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih called for a "swift and decisive" response to threats against energy supplies after Thursday's "terrorist acts".

Search for evidence
The US military on Friday released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers.

Speaking from Muscat, Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall said that more investigations were being carried out about the attacks.


US releases video it claims shows Iran removing mine from tanker

"The Americans have sent a team to board one of the two tankers that have been hit to collect more evidence.

"Also, the foreign minister of the UAE has said his country has submitted more evidence to the Security Council ... [which they say shows the incident] was state-sponsored. There wasn't a mention of Iran, but Saudi Arabia and the UAE have from day one supported the American version of events," Vall said.

Both sides have also continued to beat the drums of war.

"The Americans say they are capable of waging a war and forcing Iran to stop sabotaging the waterways of the Gulf and disrupting oil supplies to the world.

"Iranians, on the other hand, are saying they have done nothing wrong, but if forced to war, they are ready to defend themselves," said Vall.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has accused archrival Iran of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, adding he "won't hesitate" to tackle any threats to the kingdom.

Two tankers were struck by explosions on Thursday, the second attack in a month in the strategic shipping lane amid a tense United States-Iran standoff, prompting fears of a regional conflagration and sending oil prices soaring.

"We do not want a war in the region... But we won't hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and our vital interests," MBS told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Sunday.

Is Iran to blame for suspected attacks on Gulf tankers?

"The Iranian regime did not respect the presence of the Japanese prime minister as a guest in Tehran and responded to his (diplomatic) efforts by attacking two tankers, one of which was Japanese," MBS added in his first public comment since the attacks.

Prince Mohammed also accused Iran "and its proxies" of the May 12 attacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates' port of Fujairah.

Thursday's attack on the two tankers - Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous that was carrying highly flammable methanol when it was rocked by explosions and the Norwegian-operated Front Altair - came around the time Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting Iranian leaders in Tehran.

US President Donald Trump has said the twin attacks had Iran "written all over it", rejecting Tehran's vehement denial.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence".

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Iran did not respect Japanese diplomatic
efforts and responded by attacking tankers [File: Waleed Ali/Reuters]

lupig ang edsa. nag sul-ob ug itom mga residents sa hongkong nag protest.

Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration demanding Hong Kong's leaders to
step down and withdraw the extradition bill, in Hong Kong, China, June 16, 2019.

mag lisod na ang golden state. dili na maka duwa si durant sa 2020. posible pod nga dili pa makaduwa ug balik si thompson. weak na ang warriors

Davis is now a Laker. Kong ma pon-an pa ni Kemba Walker, dako na pod ug chance si Lebron nga ma champion in 2020 season

Eon Productions has issued a statement via the 007.com website and social media channels concerning an incident that occured on the 007 Stage this afternoon. Countering reports in The Sun that "three huge explosions" had taken off part of the roof and "seriously hurt" a crew member, the statement said:

During the filming of a controlled explosion on the set of Bond 25 today at Pinewood Studios, damage was caused to the exterior of the 007 Stage.

There were no injuries on set, however one crew member outside the stage has sustained a minor injury.

The statement was issued after The Sun reported three explosions had ripped through the set, which was partly damaged:

The member of staff was left crushed by part of the set which fell on him as he stood on a ramp outside the studios.

Crew on the film, which has plagued with issues since the beginning of filming, were testing a stunt involving a fireball in a laboratory when the incident took place.

Thankfully the injury was minor, according to Eon. While I've seen some people saying Bond 25 is cursed, remember the 007 Stage burnt down – for the second time – shortly after Casino Royale finished shooting.