Saturday saw escalation in hostilities in the Middle East, notably disputes over the ability of nations to establish control over the contested Strait of Hormuz.
The winding waterway through which more than 20-percent of world oil flows has been effectively shut down for nearly 50 days, displacing a lot of crude oil needed by China, Japan, India and South Korea, along with Australia and IndoChinese countries.
President Donald Trump on Friday declared that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively open after several days of a blockade by the US Navy, but Saturday morning the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) abruptly said the strait is closed permanently and no ships will be allowed through.
Ships that tried to run through the strait were turned back at gunpoint by the IRGC, leaving an opportunity for the US and Israel to rachet up pressure on the Iranian government.
And indeed, The Wall Street Journal on Saturday, citing unnamed sources, wrote that the US is planning to board and seize Iran-linked vessels very soon, not only in the strait but also in international waters, with the goal of putting economic pressure on the Tehran government as a way of forcing a peace deal.
The report also says the US intends to pursue vessels worldwide that are believed to be helping Iran in any way as the conflict cointinues.
At least two oil tankers were turned back from transiting the strait by gunshots from IRGC officers, according to Fox News reports, and despite rumors that the US and Iran are continuing "back-channel" talks in secret there has been no announcement of a new set of peace talks between the two nations.