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US expects oil prices to fall before midterm congressional elections

The United States launched Operation Project Freedom to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, but on the following day, US President Donald Trump announced its temporary suspension

NEW YORK, May 10. /TASS/. The US presidential administration expects oil prices to decline rapidly after the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, before the midterm congressional elections in early November, said Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council at the White House.

"Once we open the strait, there will be a steady stream of oil coming out of the Gulf," he said in an interview with Fox News. "Overall, we expect oil prices to start to decline relatively quickly, and certainly before the elections," he added.

The United States launched Operation Project Freedom to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, but on the following day, US President Donald Trump announced its temporary suspension. He indicated that he had agreed to pause the initiative at the request of Pakistan and several other countries.

Russian State Duma ratifies agreement on trade in services, investment between Russia, UAE

It provides for the creation of a free trade zone covering services and investment in accordance with Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and provides more favorable conditions for Russian companies to enter the UAE market and expand their presence

Yermak denies quarrel with Zelensky, contacts with fortune-tellers, pledges to go to front

Andrey Yermak said that when he was dismissed, his conversation with Vladimir Zelenskyy was not as emotional as the press had reported

Trump says Iran has 48 hours to make deal or open strait

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

Slovakia supplies tons of munitions to Ukraine on commercial basis — president

According to Peter Pellegrini, Slovakia has become one of the largest producers of ammunition of various calibers within NATO

Russian, Indian foreign ministers discuss strategic partnership in New Delhi

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar highlighted that their conversation encompassed numerous aspects of the special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India

UK to ramp up defense spending, maintain commitments to NATO — Charles III

The UK King said the ministers will seek to improve relations with European partners as a vital step in strengthening European security

Some EU politicians want Ukrainian war to continue — senior Slovak lawmaker

Tibor Gaspar pointed out that the latest 90-billion-euro loan, which Slovakia in not taking part in, "is a vivid sign that some of the EU representatives want to continue this war or help Ukraine wage it"

Press review: Putin V-Day speech gives life to Ukraine peace and Iran's new superweapon

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, May 12th

Russia notified US, other countries of Sarmat tests — Kremlin

In accordance with international agreements, when ICBMs are launched, a notification is sent to other countries through the National Center for Nuclear Risk Reduction in order to avoid undue tension

Russian stocks close in the green on Wednesday

The yuan exchange rate against the ruble lost 3.35 kopecks to 10.82 rubles

Russian troops pound Ukrainian army’s energy, transport infrastructure over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,060 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours

Trump says no understanding with Russia on Donbass so far

The withdrawal of troops from Donbas is one of Moscow's most important conditions for an active peaceful settlement with Kiev

Duma passes bill to deny citizenship to convicted migrants in first reading

According to the current regulations, foreigners are denied citizenship if they have a criminal record for intentional crimes

Trade turnover between Russia, Indonesia has doubled — trade envoy

According to Russia’s trade representative in Indonesia Alexander Masaltsev, the structure of the countries' trade turnover has remained unchanged in recent years

EU aid to Ukraine frozen — Borrell

The ex-chief of EU diplomacy said the situation is similar with the approval of new sanctions against Russia

US hopes to convince China to play more active role to settle situation with Iran — Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also noted that the conflict in the Middle East threatens to destabilize Asia more than any other part of the world

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

Russia’s Battlegroup North UAV units destroy over 55 Ukrainian Starlink stations in May

The head of the 11th Army Corps’ UAV planning and countermeasures department, call sign "Karta" noted that the antennas were discovered during airborne reconnaissance both along the line of contact and behind enemy lines

Russian State Duma ratifies agreement on trade in services, investment between Russia, UAE

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Slovakia hopes EU will not plunge into conflict in Ukraine — senior lawmaker

Deputy speaker of the Slovak parliament Tibor Gaspar stressed that it is better to invest money in healthcare, schools, and economy rather than in weapons

Iran to hit more targets if US attacks Kharg Island — ambassador

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

Xi-Trump talks begin in Beijing — TV

The two leaders began their talks with discussing bilateral and international issues

Rossotrudnichestvo sees strong interest in cooperation with Russia from Islamic countries

Cooperation is being carried out across various projects, the agency’s deputy head Pavel Shevtsov noted

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

Europe constantly lies, does everything it can to eliminate political rivals — Dodik

According to the Bosnian Serb leader, the current European liberals "cannot live in peace unless they seize new colonies in a modern form"

Russia yet undecided about preferred candidate for UN chief — senior diplomat

Russia is following the process ans doesn't rule out that new candidates may appear, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said

US wants to purchase 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles — media

According to the newspaper, the missiles, developed under the Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program, are expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars each

US still has no technical need for explosive nuclear testing — energy secretary

Under Secretary for Nuclear Security at the US Energy Department Brandon Williams noted that the department conducted "more than a thousand" non-explosive tests on its nuclear stockpile every year

Bundestag MP Kotre tells TASS he plans to attend SPIEF

The AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag stated that the faction had not yet received any official requests for such trips

Slovakia hopes Russia-Ukraine conflict will soon be settled — senior lawmaker

Deputy speaker of the Slovak parliament Tibor Gaspar also emphasized that as long as Slovakia is in a state of sanctions against Russia, cooperation will be limited

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 attack would cause humanitarian catastrophe, Cuban foreign minister warns

Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla emphasized that "there is absolutely no reason nor the slightest pretext for a superpower like the United States to carry out a military strike on a small island"

Iran expands area of control in Strait of Hormuz

According to the senior officer, the strait’s width, which used to be estimated at 32 to 48 km, has increased to between 321 and 482 km

Xi, Trump complete meeting in Beijing — TV

According to China Central Television, the meeting lasted for slightly more than two hours

Sevastopol governor congratulates sailors on Russian Black Sea Fleet Day

Mikhail Razvozhayev noted that Sevastopol honors the heroes of the past, and today's sailors inspire "particular pride"

Trump and his delegation arrive in Beijing — TV

The US leader will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the settlement of bilateral trade and economic contradictions

Kremlin spokesman comments on Sarmat launch, prospects for Ukraine talks in daily briefing

According to Dmitry Peskov, Russia hasn’t heard any official reaction from Washington to Tuesday’s launch of the Sarmat missile

Press review: Iran, US edge closer to renewed war and Russia flexes missile muscles

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, May 13th

Israel, US attack amusement park in central Iran

No information on casualties or damage has been reported yet

Air defenses destroy 66 Ukrainian UAVs over Russian regions within seven-hour period

In particular, drones were intercepted over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Tver and Moscow Regions and the Republic of Crimea

IN BRIEF: Lavrov speaks of US plans to control energy flows, Western neocolonialism

The West uses unscrupulous methods to prevent countries from purchasing Russian oil, the Russian foreign minister said

US wants to restore Nord Streams, buy them from Europeans for next to nothing — Lavrov

Washington intends to do this in order to subsequently dictate its own gas prices, the Russian foreign minister indicated

Meeting between US-Chinese leaders draws global attention — Xi

According to the Chinese president, his meeting with the US leader is taking place "amid unprecedented and dynamic changes"

US allows 15 humanitarian ships to sail in first month of Iran’s naval blockade — CENTCOM

The US military did not explain what kind of cargo the vessels were carrying

Enemy country can be destroyed in one fell swoop of Sarmat missile — military analyst

Igor Korotchenko said that the Sarmat ICBM is capable of carrying 10 or more high-yield nuclear warheads and has a sophisticated suite of missile defense penetration capabilities

Araghchi promises to hold to account countries 'colluding' with Israel against Iran

Enmity with the Great People of Iran is a foolish gamble, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said

Germany’s drone deal with Ukraine to make it complicit in Russia strikes — expert

Alexander Stepanov added that Western European countries can be considered Kiev’s high-tech military-industrial echelon

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

OIC countries interested in Russian IT solutions for cybersecurity, retail

Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Public Administration, Information Technologies, and Communications of Tatarstan Bulat Gabdrakhmanov emphasized that Islamic countries are showing strong demand for digital sovereignty

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

Another strike hits area near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran

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

US ready to promote settlement of Ukrainian crisis — Rubio

US Secretary of State also stressed that Donald Trump's team stands prepared to facilitate a diplomatic end of the war

Slovakia not to yield to pressure, to remain committed to independent course — senior MP

Tibor Gaspar also drew attention to the ongoing changes in Europe, citing as an example Romania where "the government has fallen because of promoting views the majority of people disagree with"

Ukrainian Border Guard confirms reopening all checkpoints on border with Slovakia

They had been temporarily closed for security reasons

Iran to earn twice as much from controlling Hormuz Strait as from exporting oil — army

Iranian Army Spokesman Mohammad Akraminia pointed out that Iran’s naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz would prevent the US from restoring military facilities at its bases in the Gulf countries

Putin holds phone call with Turkmenistan’s national leader

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is currently in Kazan to participate in the 17th International Economic Forum ‘Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum’

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

West may be plotting new staged massacre in Ukraine, Russian diplomat in Vienna says

Russia has noticed reports saying that NATO officials yesterday held three meetings with film directors, script writers and producers active in the film industry in Brussels, Los Angeles and Paris, Yulia Zhdanova said

Russia ready to work with Iran to settle crisis in region — Security Council

Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexander Venediktov expressed his condolences over the irreparable loss during the attacks by Washington and Tel Aviv on the Iranian statesmen and military leaders

Inflow of ruble funds from population to banks accelerates in April 2026 — Bank of Russia

Balances in the urgent segment did not change significantly, the regulator said

Trump praises his talks with Xi Jinping as 'great'

After bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People, the two leaders arrived at the Temple of Heaven

Lavrov confident trade turnover between Russia, India will reach $100 bln by 2030

According to the Russian top diplomat, such goal was set by the two countries' leaders

Conflict with Iran could ultimately cost US $1 trln — CNN

The cost of a single expended Tomahawk missile is currently estimated at $2 mln, expert Linda Bilmes noted

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

Russia guarantor of security in Middle East crisis — Iranian Security Council

According to Ali Bagheri, "the actions of the Americans on the international stage have shown that they seek to turn the world into a kind of jungle where there is no place for the rule of law"

Iran opted for just world order by joining BRICS — Iranian diplomat

Iran became a full member of the association on January 1, 2024

UAE denies reports about Netanyahu’s secret visit to UAE — foreign ministry

The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements

Orban rejects new government’s remarks about Hungary in decline

On the first day of the new cabinet led by Peter Magyar, the former prime minister listed the achievements of his government over the past 16 years

Rubio views China as Washington’s key geopolitical 'challenge'

US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday

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

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

Russia to fully supply India with energy resources despite unfair competition — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister stressed the importance of "keeping the broader picture" of the global energy market in mind

Duma authorizes use of armed forces to protect Russians arrested abroad

The proposed legislation aims to clarify and expand the authority, allowing the president to direct the Russian Armed Forces to protect citizens from prosecution by foreign and international courts operating outside Russia’s jurisdiction

First Russian-Arab summit to be held in late summer-fall 2026

The venue has not yet been chosen, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly Andrey Belyaninov said

Russia places ex-British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on wanted list

The criminal charges against Wallace were not specified

Zelensky acknowledges extensive damage in almost all regions of Ukraine

The damage primarily affected the western regions of the country

Soyuz-5 is completely new rocket, not version of Zenit — expert

Vyacheslav Smolenko noted that fundamentally different technological approaches and components were used in the creation of the Soyuz-5 rocket

Partnership between Russia and India demonstrates steady growth — Indian foreign minister

According to Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Sergey Lavrov's visit to India provides an opportunity to analyze a special and privileged strategic partnership and exchange views on the development of the situation in the world

Iran sets forth five conditions to resuming negotiations with US — agency

According to Fars, the five conditions are to stop hostilities on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, to lift the anti-Iranian sanctions, to unblock Iran’s immobilized assets, to compensate for the war-related damage, and to recognize Iran’s right to sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz

Russian State Duma ratifies economic partnership agreement between EAEU, UAE

It establishes preferential trade regimes for over 85% of goods

Slovakia not to relinquish its right of veto within EU — senior lawmaker

Tibor Gaspar emphasized that the loss of this right will mean "a significant curtailment of sovereignty" for Slovakia

Sarmat, Oreshnik missiles can take out Europe’s entire military infrastructure — expert

"The maximum range of the Sarmat system can exceed 35,000 km on a suborbital trajectory," Alexander Stepanov said

Russia develops Svarog 1.0 drone carrier boat with operational range of up to 500 km

The boat is multifunctional and can be used both for supply and logistics and as a kamikaze vessel

Rubio calls in question NATO’s purpose due to allies’ denial of access to their bases

Marco Rubio recalled that the US pays " two thirds of the bill"

Russia’s Western 'friends' become closer to it following Sarmat launch — Medvedev

The Security Council deputy chairman also posted a video of the Russian Defense Ministry’s test results

Prices of precious metals futures growing

As of 6:12 p.m. Moscow time, the price of palladium futures for June 2026 delivery on NYMEX was up by 2.43% at $1,526.5 per troy ounce, while the price of platinum futures for July 2026 delivery was up by 3.33% at $2,189.6 per troy ounce

Russia’s small missile ship Grad conducts gun practice in Baltic Sea

The sailors conducted practice firing from the A-190 and AK-630M2 naval artillery systems at simulated aerial targets and small naval targets representing unmanned boats of the mock enemy

Putin, Turkmen national leader discuss Moscow-Ashgabat strategic partnership

The parties also discussed cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and other areas

IN BRIEF: Sarmat launch sends signal to Western 'friends' in proving Russia’s superiority

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin noted that Sarmat test-launch showed that Russia’s nuclear shield had improved

Venezuelan-US diplomatic agenda focuses on sanction lifting — acting president

Delcy Rodriguez noted that negotiations with the United States and European countries include issues of lifting sanctions off Venezuela’s production sector

China-US confrontation to lead to mutual losses — Xi

Mutual support and prosperity will make it possible for Beijing and Washington "to elaborate a new approach to the relations between the great powers in the new era," Xi Jinping said

Russia’s Khachanov falls to Norwegian Ruud in quarterfinals of 2026 ATP Italian Open

Casper Ruud will play in the semifinals against the winner of another quarterfinals duel between Rafael Jodar of Spain and Italy’s Luciano Darderi

Putin appoints Kovalchuk, Shuvayev acting governors of Bryansk, Belgorod Regions

Vyacheslav Gladkov and Alexander Bogomaz were relieved of the governor posts

Lavrov arrives in New Delhi to attend BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting

The Russian foreign minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on May 14

US Congress may consider bill on $1.3 billion in military aid to Kiev — media

The bill also provides new sanctions against Russia

Trump leaves Vance succession instruction should anything happens to him — official

The US leader has been the target of three assassination attempts

Soviet developments in rocket engineering and challenges: Putin's statements

The Russian president said that Russia will continue to modernize and develop its strategic nuclear forces

Countries boycott Eurovision because of its politicization, special envoy says

Mikhail Shvydkoy highlighted that it was a good thing Russia didn't take part, as that led to the creation of the Intervision competition

Republika Srpska maintains constructive dialogue with Russia — ambassador

According to Igor Kalabukhov, the participation of the Republika Srpska delegation in the Victory Day parade in Moscow was an important gesture

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

Silver price surpasses $90 per troy ounce first since March 10

The price of gold futures contracts for June 2026 delivery increased by 0.46% to $4,708.4 per troy ounce

Putin briefed on successful Sarmat ICBM test: what is known

The head of state congratulated the Russian military on the successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile