Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including US President Donald Trump hosting a state dinner for King Charles III, the US Senate blocking a bid to rein in Trump's war powers on Cuba, and UAE withdrawing from OPEC, OPEC+, along with Kosovo heading for snap elections.
TOP STORIES
US President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that Iran had been “militarily defeated,” without providing further details, and reiterated his administration’s opposition to any Iranian nuclear capability.
"We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never going to let that opponent ever -- Charles agrees with me even more than I do -- we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon," he added.
During a state dinner honoring the British monarch, Trump referenced ongoing Middle East tensions and US operations in the region, saying his administration was “doing a little Middle East work right now” and that the situation was “going very well.”
He said that King Charles III shares his position on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes on what it described as US interests across the region, many of them in Gulf countries.
The US Senate on Tuesday failed to pass a War Powers Resolution aimed at preventing unauthorized US military action in Cuba.
The senators voted 51-47 on the resolution, which was introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Cuba is "next" after the military operation against Iran and that the Caribbean island nation will fail soon.
Ahead of the voting, Kaine said on the Senate floor that Trump’s war against Iran has been a "disaster." "Now, he wants a new war with Cuba. My colleagues and I are firm: no new, unnecessary wars," he said.
The United Arab Emirates announced its decision to withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+.
The decision will be effective as of May 1, according to the state-run Emirati News Agency (WAM) on Tuesday.
The report said the decision is in line with the country’s long-term strategic and economic vision and the development of its energy sector.
The decision also reinforces the UAE's commitment to its role as a responsible and reliable producer that looks to the future of global energy markets, it added. The UAE joined OPEC in 1967.
The Kosovo Assembly failed to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline due to a lack of the required number of votes, which puts the country on the verge of snap parliamentary elections.
Only representatives of the ruling Self-Determination Movement and representatives of non-Serb minorities participated in the vote, who met four times during the day, but their 64 votes were not enough to elect a head of state, which requires a two-thirds majority of 120 representatives.
Assembly Speaker and acting President Albulena Haxhiu said that invitations had been extended to opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Kosovo, but that they had refused to participate in the sessions. In the coming days, Haxhiu is expected to call early parliamentary elections, which, according to the constitution, must be held within 45 days.
NEWS IN BRIEF
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz is down more than 95% since the US and Israel initiated a war against Iran, the UN said Tuesday.
"Ship transits related to the Strait of Hormuz have decreased by 95.3% since 28th February, while commodity food prices has risen by 6% and crude oil prices for Europe have risen by 53%," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN's New York headquarters.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures jumped more than 3.8% on Tuesday to again hit $100 per barrel as the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz kept supply concerns at the center of global energy markets.
WTI extended gains for a seventh consecutive session, reaching its highest level since early April, as traders assessed the risk of prolonged disruptions in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Meanwhile, international benchmark Brent crude oil futures also jumped 2.8% to reach $111.3 per barrel as of 1410GMT.
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