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Strait of Hormuz developments

Tanker carrying Russian oil bought by Japanese company Taiyo Oil arrives in Japan

Earlier, a TASS correspondent found out that amid the situation surrounding Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Japan purchased its first cargo of Russian oil in almost a year

TOKYO, May 4. /TASS/. A tanker carrying a cargo of oil from Sakhalin, sold to Japanese company Taiyo Oil, has arrived at its destination port in Ehime Prefecture in the southwest of Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Earlier, a TASS correspondent found out that amid the situation surrounding Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Japan purchased its first cargo of Russian oil in almost a year.

Later Japan confirmed the purchase of Sakhalin oil to TASS.

Japan stopped importing Russian oil after February 2022, later joining the price cap mechanism initiated by Western countries, with the exception of certain cargoes from the Sakhalin-2 project tied to LNG supply contracts. This oil is exempt from the sanctions regime. The last time Taiyo Oil purchased Russian oil from Sakhalin was in June 2025.

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The French president said he is unaware of the details of the US initiative on the Strait of Hormuz

Tanker comes under attack off UAE coast — UKMTO

According to the authority, all crew was reported safe, no environmental impact has been reported

US fighter jet downed over Iran likely conducted strikes on ground targets — media

According to CBS News national security analyst Aaron MacLean, the pilots of the downed fighter had sidearms

Iran to view US interference in Strait of Hormuz navigation as ceasefire violation

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UK to launch negotiations on taking part in 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine

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Hungary views China as pillar of multipolar world — Orban

Hungarian prime minister recalled that Hungary has always adhered to the ‘one China’ principle

Putin sends New Year, Christmas greetings to several world leaders — Kremlin

Among European leaders, he sent greetings only to Viktor Orban and Aleksandar Vucic

United Airlines plane hits light pole during landing in US — FAA

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Tehran’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Amir Hossein Hosseini also expressed hope that the conflict would be resolved diplomatically

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Denis Pushilin did not elaborate on the exact effects

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The Turkish leader reiterated that "both Russia and Ukraine are Turkey’s neighbors"

Former New York mayor, Trump's ex-lawyer Giuliani hospitalized in critical condition

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Russian forces gaining foothold in east of Rai-Aleksandrovka in Donetsk region

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Israel, US attack amusement park in central Iran

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It won’t save the day for the Ukrainian armed forces, Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said

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Correspondent Barak Ravid says, citing an official, that US Navy ships will be ‘in the vicinity’ to prevent a possible Iranian attack on commercial ships moving through the strait

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European Political Community summit to address Strait of Hormuz closure

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Pezeshkian asks global community to judge which side, Iran or US, actually favors dialogue

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited the world to judge which side engages in terrorism

Upper house speaker slams US-Israeli operation against Iran as geopolitical mistake

Valentina Matviyenko emphasized that this intervention has destabilized the Middle East, triggering an energy crisis, yet it ultimately changes nothing

Russian MP warns of nuclear proliferation risk if Israel uses nukes against Iran

Alexey Pushkov noted that the question of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will use nuclear weapons in Iran has been actively discussed on American television in recent days

Kiev troops shell DPR 14 times in past day, two killed

Four people were wounded

Putin, Trump express similar assessments of Kiev regime’s behavior in phone call — Kremlin

Their assessments were similar. Basically, it’s hard to imagine different assessments of the Kiev regime’s behavior, he said

General HQ of Iranian army warns of potentially larger strikes on Tel Aviv

The Iranian military also advised "host countries of US military bases to force the Americans to leave their territory, if they want to avoid damage"

Persian Gulf countries running out of interceptor missiles - Bloomberg

Iran has fired almost 1,200 ballistic missiles and 4,000 Shahed drones at the Gulf states since the start of the war

Denmark uses Bornholm to threaten Russia’s security, including Kaliningrad — ambassador

Vladimir Barbin stressed that Denmark's activity in Russia does not go unnoticed

US to drop plans to deploy long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany — newspaper

Christian Moelling, director of the Berlin-based think-tank Edina, told The Financial Times that rotating out American troops stationed in Germany was "less of a problem" than the cancellation of the plan to deploy a long-range strike capability

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The report says that "Musk’s rapid-fire messages - which included numerous false claims about the contents of the spending bill - ricocheted" across Washington

India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lands on Moon

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Further phases of BRICS expansion will follow, says South African president

It is noted that the membership will take effect from January 1, 2024

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Death toll in Oklahoma shooting rises to 12 — TV

According to the TV channel, the shooting occurred at a gathering of young people near Lake Arcadia

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Custody of the vessel "is currently being transferred back to its original ownership," CENTCOM specified

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Time is running out: 48 hours remain before all hell rains down on them, US President said

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Earlier, the IDF press service reported the completion of a 60-hour raid in the city of Jenin

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Тajikistan’s new Prime Minister is Kokhir Rasulzoda

Akil Akilov was dismissed

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Tehran’s proposals do not include 15-year enrichment pause — news agency

The proposals also do not include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz before the sides reach the final peace deal

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Maria Zakharova says Russia will demand from Washington "confirmation in each specific case that the newborn is not subject to US jurisdiction"

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Putin appoints Fyodor Shchukin acting head of Dagestan

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US president’s special envoy commented on the state of negotiations

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Russian army liberated 13 villages in April — military expert

Andrey Marochko said that five villages were retaken from Ukrainian forces by fighters from Russia’s Battlegroup North

Putin to deliver important address at VIctory Day parade on May 9 — Kremlin spokesman

We expect that the president's address at the parade will be an important one, as always, he said

Iran calls on Saudi Arabia to ‘eject’ US troops from region

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation

US to start operation to evacuate ships locked up in Hormuz on Monday — Trump

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Two more drones taken down en route to Moscow — Mayor

First responders are working at the crash site

US-Israeli strike on humanitarian aid aircraft in western Iran reported

The Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic called on all international bodies to take appropriate measures in response to this incident

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NATO forces intercept missile presumably launched from Iran — Turkish Defense Ministry

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Poland preparing for large-scale illegal arms imports from Ukraine — police

Polish law enforcement agencies are preparing a special plan codenamed Trident, Adam Radon, head of the organized crime division at the Central Investigation Bureau of the Polish Police, said

State Department imposes US citizenship on diplomats’ children for pressure — diplomat

Maria Zakharova said that coercive actions against the personnel of Russian diplomatic missions contradict the norms of international law and bilateral agreements, which guarantee immunity from the jurisdiction of the host country

Roscosmos invites NASA chief to Russia

The US Senate unanimously voted to appoint Nelson to the post of NASA chief in late April

By rejecting Ukraine’s fast-track accession, EU seeks to turn it into colony — Duma member

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Ukraine’s economics ministry expects 2014 inflation at 19%

Iran may begin mothballing its oil wells next week — US treasury secretary

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Finland is becoming active participant in conflict in Ukraine — Mema

A member of the Finnish national-conservative party Freedom Alliance called Finland's policy destructive

Corruption probe to lead to major Western officials — Russian diplomat

Rodion Miroshnik emphasized that international corruption in the ‘Ukrainian military program’ remains hidden from the public view

Ukrainian drone attacks industrial facility in Bryansk Region, worker wounded

The worker was admitted to hospital

Iran divides countries into three categories based on use of Strait of Hormuz — TV

According to the TV channel, all states are divided into three categories — "hostile," "neutral," and "friendly"

US interested in calling on Arab nations to help pay for cost of Iran operation — official

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28

Debris of An-26 plane gone missing in Kamchatka found, airline CEO says

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UAE withdraws from Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

OAPEC thanked the UAE for the role it played during its membership

Russia expects $2.667 bln in budgetary revenues amid oil prices rise — minister

The Finance Minister noted that "the levels of revenue and under-revenue over the past two months are the same"

Deep freeze breaks 1893 record in St. Petersburg as temperature drops to 21 below zero

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IRGC calls for US Air Force chief to resign after aircraft downed in Iran

The IRGC Navy also congratulated the air defense forces of the Islamic republic’s army on intercepting an US F-15E fighter jet and an A-10 attack aircraft in the skies over Iran

US Navy has no plans to escort commercial ships via Strait of Hormuz — WSJ

According to a source cited by the newspaper, Project Freedom will be a coordination mechanism for countries, insurance companies, and shipping organizations to move traffic through the Strait

US president threatens strikes on Iran’s energy, civilian infrastructure

Donald Trump called on Iranian leaders to open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that otherwise the country "will be living in hell

Russia would prefer to achieve goals in Ukraine through peace agreement — Kremlin

Trump said in his latest phone call with Putin on April 29 that a deal on resolving the Ukraine conflict was close

Some 15,000 US servicemen to take part in Operation Project Freedom — CENTCOM

The US Central Command says that over 100 land and sea-based aircraft will also be used

Kremlin closely following developments after US airstrikes in Syria

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US troop buildup near Iran not sign of any new decisions — White House

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28

Israel to channel $119 bln to develop its own weapons production in 10 years — PM

Simultaneously, Israel will develop groundbreaking Israeli-made aircraft, Benjamin Netanyahu said

King Charles III diagnosed with cancer — Buckingham Palace

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EU preparing for possible energy supply crisis due to conflict in Iran — Spanish newspaper

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Trump not planning to postpone his visit to China — treasury secretary

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US military aircraft struck by Iran makes it to Kuwait — TV

Iran also fired at two US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters conducting a search and rescue operation

Oil, gas transit via Ukraine is in Slovakia’s interests — PM

We should raise this topic each time we meet with the Ukrainian political leadership, Robert Fico said

Navigation in Strait of Hormuz stops after Trump’s remarks about conflict settlement

Thus, whereas nine ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on Saturday, on Sunday, according to Bloomberg, only two Iranian commercial vessels did this

Iran urges ships to refrain from entering Hormuz Strait without Tehran’s permission

Ali Abdollahi warned that any foreign armed forces, especially the US army, would be targeted if they attempted to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz

Europeans not going to limit US use of NATO bases on continent — Rutte

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Tanker with Iranian oil change course, heading to China — PTI

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Another strike hits area near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran

One of the facility’s security guards was killed, Iran’s AEOI said