Weeks of talks have not managed to reach a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies. The United Nations warns that the conflict is pushing millions more toward acute hunger as oil prices remain elevated.
UN Warning on Hunger
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) had previously warned that soaring oil prices were devastating global food security. Now, nearly three months into the conflict, the negative scenario is materializing, said Jean-Martin Bauer, director of WFP's food and nutrition analysis service. If oil prices stay around $100 per barrel until the end of June, an estimated 45 million additional people worldwide will face acute hunger, on top of the nearly 320 million already considered acutely food insecure at the start of the year.
Failed Talks and Continued Violence
Complicated talks marked by sharp rhetoric and flare-ups of violence have failed to produce a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump faces pressure to find a way out of the conflict, which has shocked markets and proved unpopular at home as midterm elections approach. US and Iranian negotiators have been working to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program, but both sides continue to demand changes, with neither appearing ready to compromise.
Iran Strikes Kuwait and Bahrain
Bahrain reported that Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at it and Kuwait, hours after the US and Iran exchanged strikes over the Gulf. These flare-ups threaten to break the fragile ceasefire. The US military said it shot down four Iranian drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in response. Iran retaliated by targeting US bases in the region, prompting air raid alerts in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Other News
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Judge Dismisses Kennedy Center Suit
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California Vote Counting Defended
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Other Developments
Congressional Republicans are increasingly willing to defy Trump as midterm elections near. A deepening US-European rift over Bosnia and Herzegovina has led to a US threat to reconsider its role in international peacekeeping.
