All articles tagged with #blockade
A Russian tanker carrying 100,000 tons of crude arrived in Cuba, with Moscow saying the move was discussed with Washington as Havana faces severe fuel shortages amid a de facto U.S. blockade; Trump later said he had no problem with Russian oil deliveries, signaling a potential easing of tensions and providing a critical energy lifeline for Cuba amid dwindling Venezuelan supplies and ongoing power blackouts.
Russia dispatched two tankers—Sea Horse with roughly 27,000 tons of gas and Anatoly Kolodkin carrying about 725,000–728,000 barrels of oil—to Cuba, its first energy shipments in three months, as Havana struggles with shortages amid the U.S. blockade; Sea Horse is due soon and Anatoly Kolodkin in early April, with Moscow pledging ongoing support.
The US says it intercepted the sanctioned oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean for defying a Venezuelan oil blockade, with the vessel last transmitting location data far south of Sri Lanka; this marks the latest seizure in Washington’s push to block Venezuelan oil, occurring amid a broader US naval buildup in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel said Havana is willing to talk with the United States on any topic but only without pressure or preconditions, signaling a potential shift after months of Trump-era threats. He criticized US media campaigns and said the island faces ongoing economic and energy hardships under the blockade, with support messages from China and Russia and rumors of talks in Mexico. The government plans measures to cope with the strain, highlighting the difficulty for both the state and Cuban people.
Washington’s move to tariff oil to Cuba and hints of a blockade, combined with Mexico halting shipments and dwindling reserves, could leave Cuba short of fuel within weeks, risking deeper blackouts, disrupted transport and a worsening economy for ordinary Cubans.
War and the blockade have left thousands of Gaza cancer patients unable to flee for urgent care, with evacuation routes hampered by the Rafah crossing closure and scarce medicines; cancer deaths have surged as basic diagnostics and chemotherapy vanish, and Gaza’s only specialized cancer hospital was destroyed in 2025, forcing treatment into makeshift clinics and prolonging suffering, even as a handful win court-backed exemptions to travel for care. About 11,000 Gaza cancer patients need treatment outside the territory, and roughly 900 have died waiting for evacuation, according to the WHO and aid groups.
The New York Times analyzed AIS data and found that China twice mobilized thousands of civilian fishing boats to form massive, densely packed formations in the East China Sea (one in December and another in January), creating floating barriers about 200 miles long. Experts say the maneuvers indicate a coordinated effort to train and showcase maritime militia capabilities, enabling Beijing to rapidly muster large numbers of vessels to monitor or disrupt sea lanes in a potential Taiwan crisis, even though such boats alone could not enforce a blockade.
The PRC conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, simulating a blockade and rehearsing various military operations to pressure Taiwan and deter foreign support, involving naval, air, and missile capabilities, and emphasizing psychological and political coercion.
President Trump announced a 'complete blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela, escalating pressure on Maduro's regime, with actions described as a legal quarantine rather than a military blockade, raising questions about the scope and impact of the move.
The U.S. military boarded a Venezuelan oil tanker not under sanctions to enforce a blockade, signaling increased pressure on Maduro's regime and warning other vessels about potential interdiction, even if they are not officially sanctioned.
President Trump announced a 'total and complete blockade' of all sanctioned oil tankers to Venezuela, escalating pressure on Maduro's government, which he declared a terrorist organization, potentially impacting Venezuela's economy and international relations.
President Trump announced a 'total and complete blockade' of Venezuelan oil tankers, escalating pressure on Maduro's regime and targeting Venezuela's oil industry amid ongoing sanctions and military threats, with Venezuela condemning the move as a violation of international law.
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a 'blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela to increase pressure on Maduro's government, leading to a rise in oil prices and raising legal and geopolitical questions about the move's legality and impact on global oil markets.
President Donald Trump has ordered a blockade on oil tankers that are sanctioned off Venezuela, as part of broader efforts to exert pressure on the Venezuelan government.
Israeli forces intercepted a nine-vessel aid flotilla heading to Gaza with food and medical supplies, detaining all passengers and asserting the operation was an illegal breach of the naval blockade amid ongoing conflict and a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.