Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized two container ships near the Strait of Hormuz, with a British naval agency reporting attacks on two vessels, as the US maintained its blockade on Iranian ports, escalating tensions in the critical waterway.
Democrats, including Hakeem Jeffries, defended the Virginia redistricting outcome as a "temporary measure" against a "MAGA power grab," while Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested South Carolina consider similar actions, highlighting national political implications.
A Virginia circuit court judge issued an injunction blocking the certification of a voter-approved congressional redistricting map, which could have allowed Democrats to flip four House seats, with the state Attorney General pledging an appeal.
New Zealand's economic recovery is delayed, UK mobile users face data rationing due to energy costs, and the Philippines faces stagflation risk, as the Iran war creates "massive economic uncertainty" for countries like Pakistan and Iraq.
John C. Phelan stepped down as Secretary of the Navy "effective immediately," replaced by Undersecretary Hung Cao, marking another high-profile Pentagon departure amidst the ongoing US naval blockade of Iran and military tensions.
Oil futures gained for a third consecutive session as the Strait of Hormuz remained closed due to Iran firing on three vessels and the ongoing US blockade, while US natural gas futures posted their sixth straight gain.