The United States carried out strikes on Iranian military sites after Washington blamed an Iranian drone for damaging a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, then reported coming under Iranian drone attack — testing a ceasefire that President Trump had called the foundation of a lasting peace.
Since US forces captured Nicolas Maduro on 3 January 2026, deputy Delcy Rodriguez has governed Venezuela, opening the oil sector to private investors and freeing hundreds of prisoners while sidestepping the elections the constitution requires. Analysts call it 'normalization without transition.' The Trump administration, focused on stability and energy, has effectively backed Rodriguez over Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado, who now vows to run for president.
New U.S. strikes in southern Iran were reported while negotiations continued, keeping attention on the Strait of Hormuz and the global fuel-price exposure that matters to Luxembourg.