{"id":424904,"date":"2026-04-30T09:18:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/424904\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T09:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:18:12","slug":"trump-to-be-briefed-on-new-wave-of-short-powerful-strikes-on-iran-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/424904\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump to be briefed on new wave of \u2018short, powerful\u2019 strikes on Iran \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main PointsBest ReadsHegseth denies<\/a> Iran war is a \u201cquagmire\u201d as costs to US hit $25bnFinn McRedmond<\/a>: Trump likes King Charles but \u201csoft power\u201d means nothing in Washington nowOil surges<\/a> past $125 as fears of prolonged supply disruption growUS seeking forfeiture of captured oil tankers in move that is believed to include oil cargoes <\/p>\n

The US is seeking forfeiture of two Iran-linked oil tankers seized by naval forces enforcing a blockade against Iran, according to a senior administration official.<\/p>\n

The US Department of Justice has initiated the forfeiture process, the official said, without elaborating on what that entails or whether it signals an intent to seize the crude on board. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, declined to detail what will ultimately happen to the vessels or comment on their current routes, citing operational security.<\/p>\n

US forces boarded the vessels Tifani and Phoenix \u2013 the latter also known as the Majestic X \u2013 last week in the general vicinity of Sri Lanka, according to the Pentagon. The tankers continued to sail across the Indian Ocean in the following days, and appeared to make several course reversals.<\/p>\n

The US and Iran have been enforcing dual blockades in and around the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump ratchets up economic pressure on Tehran and the Islamic Republic seeks to counter American pressure.<\/p>\n

In several cases where ship captains have attempted to test the US blockade, naval forces have directed intercepted vessels back to the Gulf ports. Confiscating oil cargoes aboard Iran-linked vessels would represent an escalation of Trump\u2019s economic offensive \u2013 and dovetail with the administration\u2019s strategy toward Venezuelan crude after the January ouster of strongman Nicolas Maduro.<\/p>\n

As recently as late February, the Justice Department filed a forfeiture claim in US District Court in Washington DC, seeking possession of 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude aboard a tanker linked to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department uses asset forfeiture as a legal tool to seize property suspected of being connected to criminal activity, often through proceedings against the asset itself rather than an individual.<\/p>\n

The US also took such action in 2023, when it ordered a tanker carrying China-bound Iranian crude to divert to the US, following similar measures in 2021. A year earlier, the Trump administration also ordered the seizure of four tankers carrying Iranian gasoline bound for Venezuela. \u2013 Bloomberg<\/p>\n

Message from the Editor<\/p>\n

\"RuadhanIrish Times Editor Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic <\/p>\n

Thanks for reading. If you\u2019re interested in world news, The Irish Times has the largest network of foreign correspondents of any Irish news organisation. <\/p>\n

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Ruadh\u00e1n Mac Cormaic<\/p>\n

Editor <\/p>\n

To join Ireland\u2019s biggest community of news subscribers, sign up here<\/a> Iran says it \u2018will not tolerate\u2019 an extended blockade as Trump ponders keeping pressure up for months<\/p>\n

Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei\u2019s top military adviser has said Iran \u201cwill not tolerate\u201d an extension of the US naval blockade, according to Iranian state media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the blockade continues, Iran will respond,\u201d Mohsen Rezaei said in an interview with Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a blockade has essentially achieved nothing and they have not been able to enforce it. The Indian Ocean is extremely vast, and we can easily pass through it, we have already done so,\u201d Rezaei added.<\/p>\n

His comments came as US President Donald Trump considers an extended blockade of Iranian ports.<\/p>\n

Rezaei also urged the public not to listen to rumours about status of Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard from since he was announced as Iran\u2019s new supreme leader more than six weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Supreme Leader is young, healthy, and energetic, and is managing the affairs of the country,\u201d Rezaei said, according to IRIB. <\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal reported president Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, targeting the regime\u2019s coffers in a high-risk bid to compel a nuclear capitulation Tehran has long refused.<\/p>\n

In recent meetings, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran\u2019s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He assessed that his other options \u2013 resume bombing or walk away from the conflict \u2013 carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials said.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday Trump said Iran \u201cbetter get smart soon\u201d and in a meeting oil executives discussed what steps could be taken to \u201ccontinue the current blockade for months if needed,\u201d according to a White House official. Additional reporting -CNN<\/p>\n

Further bad news for airline industry as Air France \u2013 KLM downgrades capacity due to war and rising fuel costs<\/p>\n

Air \u200bFrance-KLM reported a smaller first-quarter loss than expected on Thursday, but downgraded its capacity outlook on the basis of uncertainty tied to the US -Israeli war with Iran and rising jet fuel costs.<\/p>\n

European \u200bairlines, including EasyJet and TUI, have revised their outlooks as their jet fuel hedges shrink \u2060over time. They expect to feel the impact of the closure of \u200cthe \u200cStrait \u200bof Hormuz more acutely in the coming months. \u201cWhile fuel price increases are not yet reflected in the results we \u2060present today, they are \u200bexpected to weigh on the coming quarters,\u201d Air \u200bFrance-KLM chief executive Ben Smith said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The company said its \u200cgroup capacity was now set to \u200bincrease by 2% to 4% this year over 2025. It previously expected \u2060an increase of 3% to 5%. \u2060It also said \u200bit expects a 2.4 billion euro ($2.80 billion) increase in its fuel bill in 2026 compared with 2025.<\/p>\n

Air France-KLM reported an initial boost after the Iran war broke out as more travellers booked on European carriers for flights \u200cto Asia, but was planning to expand its long-haul capacity in a more muted way \u200bas people were postponing travel plans or booking closer to \u200bthe date of travel, concerned by the financial risk tied to long-haul trips. \u2013 Reuters<\/p>\n

US seeks new Coalition to get ships moving in Hormuz\"BoatsBoats off Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Photograph: Asghar Besharati\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

The Trump administration \u200cis seeking the participation of other countries to form an international Coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the \u200cStrait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable.<\/p>\n

US secretary of state Marco Rubio approved \u200bthe creation of the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), the cable dated April 28th said, which it described as a joint initiative by the State Department and the Pentagon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MFC constitutes a critical first step in the establishment of \u200ba post-conflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East. This framework is essential to ensuring long-term energy security, protecting \u2060critical maritime infrastructure, and maintaining navigational rights and freedoms in vital sea lanes,\u201d the cable \u200csaid.<\/p>\n

The \u200ccomponent \u200bof the initiative led by the State Department would serve as the diplomatic hub between partner countries and the shipping industry, while \u2060the Pentagon component operating out of US Central Command headquarters in Florida would co-ordinate real-time maritime traffic \u200band communicate directly with vessels transiting the strait, the cable said.<\/p>\n

The story was first reported \u200cby the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. <\/p>\n

US may cut number of troops in Germany \"USUS president Donald Trump speaks to German chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington last month. Photograph: Doug Mills\/The New York Times<\/p>\n

The US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country\u2019s chancellor said United States was being \u201chumiliated\u201d by Iran.<\/p>\n

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was \u201cstudying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Friedrich Merz suggested the Trump team was being outplayed in its negotiations <\/a>with Iran to secure an end to the ongoing war and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,\u201d the German chancellor said.<\/a><\/p>\n

Merz reiterated his criticisms on Wednesday, saying Europe was \u201csuffering\u201d from the consequences of the closure of the strait.<\/p>\n

Trump cancelled a second trip by US negotiators to Islamabad last week. Since then, discussions over Iran\u2019s nuclear programme and the strait of Hormuz have hit an impasse.<\/p>\n

Trump on Tuesday accused Merz of thinking it\u2019s \u201cOK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon\u201d and said the chancellor \u201cdoesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about!\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier on Wednesday Merz brushed off those comments, saying his relationship with Trump remains \u201cas good as ever\u201d, but the president\u2019s threat to withdraw US troops is likely to cause concern in Berlin and across Europe, coming amid a period of heightened tensions between the US and its traditional allies in Europe that has seen Trump step up his threats to withdraw from the Nato alliance. \u2013 Guardian<\/p>\n

Oil prices hit highest point since 2022<\/p>\n

The price of Brent oil soared above $126 a barrel on Wednesday, its highest level since 2022, after Donald Trump <\/a>warned the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months and peace talks remained stalled.<\/p>\n

Surging more than 13 per cent in 24 hours, Brent crude hit a record price since the war began on February 28th. Not since Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has Brent topped $120, with the price then peaking at $139.<\/p>\n

US oil prices were 2.3 per cent higher at $109.32 a barrel on Thursday, after a 7 per cent jump on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Oil markets have been spooked this week as Trump appeared willing to maintain the US navy blockade of Iranian ports, with Iran responding by keeping the strait of Hormuz all but shut to other oil tankers.<\/p>\n

US-Iran talks set for Islamabad in Pakistan over the weekend failed to materialise, so the stalemate grinds on.<\/p>\n

Trump said on Wednesday that Iran \u201cbetter get smart soon\u201d and in a meeting oil executives, discussed what steps could be taken to \u201ccontinue the current blockade for months if needed,\u201d according to a White House official. \u2013 Financial Times\/Reuters<\/p>\n

Trump to be briefed on new Iran military strikes \"PresidentPresident Donald Trump: to be briefed on latest potential US military action against Iran. Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/AP <\/p>\n

Donald Trump<\/a> is reportedly set to receive a briefing on Thursday from the leader of the US Central Command, Brad \u200cCooper, on new plans for potential military action against Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The military has prepared a plan for a \u201cshort and powerful\u201d wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported, citing sources. <\/p>\n

The \u200bWhite House and the US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

A \u200bfragile ceasefire in the Iran war began three weeks ago. The war began when the US and Israel \u2060attacked Iran on February 28th. <\/p>\n

Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and \u200cGulf states \u200cwith \u200bUS bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran<\/a> and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. <\/p>\n

Trump has previously threatened to destroy \u2060Iran\u2019s civilian infrastructure. International law experts \u200bsay such strikes may amount to war crimes. The \u200b1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.<\/p>\n

Another \u200cplan expected to be shared with \u200bTrump is focused on taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen \u2060it to commercial shipping, the report added, \u2060saying such an \u200boperation may involve ground forces.<\/p>\n

The Iran war, which remains unpopular in the US, has shaken markets and raised oil prices. \u2013 Reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main PointsBest ReadsHegseth denies Iran war is a \u201cquagmire\u201d as costs to US hit $25bnFinn McRedmond: Trump likes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424905,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,94860,151033,43,20673,150177,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-424904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-iran-news","tag-iran-war","tag-news","tag-oil-prices","tag-strait-of-hormuz","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}