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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 15th 2026 - 15:40 UTC

United States

  • Saturday, April 18th 2026 - 10:58 UTC

    Iran closes Hormuz again after less than 24 hours as two ships report being fired upon

    The reversal came as maritime tracking sites showed several ships attempting to take advantage of the opening

    Iran's reopening of the Strait of Hormuz lasted less than 24 hours. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared on Saturday that it had reimposed “strict control” over the maritime corridor, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transits. At least two vessels reported being hit by gunfire while attempting to cross the strait, according to three maritime security sources cited by Reuters. It has not been confirmed whether the shots caused damage.

  • Friday, April 17th 2026 - 21:42 UTC

    Iran declares Hormuz “fully open” until ceasefire ends; Trump insists on keeping Iranian port blockade

    Despite the relief, normalizing traffic will take weeks. According to maritime intelligence firm Windward, at least 823 vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf

    Iran announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain “fully open” to merchant shipping until the ceasefire with the United States expires next Wednesday. The decision, linked to the start of the 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon announced by Trump on Thursday, triggered an immediate drop in oil prices of nearly 10% and strong relief across global markets.

  • Friday, April 17th 2026 - 00:03 UTC

    Trump says US “very close” to Iran deal and announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire

    “It looks very likely that we will reach a deal with Iran, and it will be a good deal, no nuclear weapons,” Trump said

    US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington is “very close” to reaching a deal with Iran and announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, in a day that combined diplomatic overtures with explicit threats to resume hostilities if Tehran does not accept American terms.

  • Wednesday, April 15th 2026 - 22:12 UTC

    Trump says he will fire Powell if he stays past May as Senate stalls successor's confirmation

    Powell publicly linked the investigation to political pressure after receiving the first subpoena in January

    US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he does not leave when his term expires on May 15. “Well then, I'll have to fire him,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business. “I've held back firing him. I've wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial. I want to be uncontroversial, but he will be fired.”

  • Wednesday, April 15th 2026 - 01:06 UTC

    Trump turns on Meloni, his top European ally, as Italy suspends defense deal with Israel

    On the same day, Meloni announced that Italy would suspend the automatic renewal of its defense cooperation agreement with Israel

    US President Donald Trump on Tuesday turned on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, until recently his closest ally in Europe, in a phone interview with the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera. “I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump said, criticizing Meloni for refusing to involve Italy in the war against Iran and for calling his attacks on Pope Leo XIV “unacceptable.”

  • Wednesday, April 15th 2026 - 00:59 UTC

    US lifts sanctions on Venezuela's Central Bank and backs its return to the IMF

    The move responds to persistent demands by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, whose individual sanctions OFAC had already lifted on April 1

    The US Treasury Department on Tuesday lifted financial sanctions on Venezuela's Central Bank and three other state-owned banking institutions, in the most significant easing of the punitive regime in place since 2017. On the same day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly endorsed efforts by the International Monetary Fund to reintegrate Venezuela into the international financial system.

  • Monday, April 13th 2026 - 21:52 UTC

    Tankers turn back at Hormuz as crude jumps over 4% on US blockade

    The Malawi-flagged tanker Rich Starry, 188 meters in length, turned around “within minutes of approaching the strait,” MarineTraffic reported

    Two oil tankers reversed course as they approached the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, just hours after the US naval blockade against Iranian ports took effect, according to maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic. Brent crude for June delivery closed up 4.4% at $99.36 per barrel, while US benchmark WTI rose 2.6% to $99.08, according to Bloomberg.

  • Monday, April 13th 2026 - 21:37 UTC

    Venezuela expands Chevron operations in Orinoco Belt following hydrocarbon reform

    The agreement is part of an asset restructuring in which Chevron is prioritizing its presence in extra-heavy crude while returning a marine gas field to the Venezuelan state

    Venezuela's government on Monday signed an agreement expanding US oil company Chevron's operations in the country, weeks after a hydrocarbon reform opened the sector to private and foreign investment. The signing ceremony took place at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

  • Monday, April 13th 2026 - 21:33 UTC

    Trump deletes image of himself as Jesus Christ amid backlash as clash with Pope escalates

    The image came in the midst of an unprecedented confrontation between the president and Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran

    US President Donald Trump on Monday deleted from his Truth Social account an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ healing a sick person. The post, which remained visible for more than 12 hours, drew sharp criticism from Catholic organizations, conservative figures and members of his own party, who called it blasphemous.

  • Monday, April 13th 2026 - 08:12 UTC

    Trump has demolished the US-led global order, prepare for a rough 15 years

    “We British have to accept that the old world order is gone. It was fantastic for us – a strong middle power – while it lasted. But that time is not coming back,” Mark Martin MP, Liberal Democrat

    By Mike Martin MP - “We’re all one people … to all of you down there on Earth … we love you”. Listening to the crew of Artemis over the last week has been a refreshing reminder of a part of America’s soul. Deep inside, it is a country that holds the highest ideals about individual spirit and endeavour, and the potential of humanity when we work together. Hearing the astronauts with my four-year-old daughter has been inspiring and awesome.