Trump demands Iran pay for ‘conflicts’

Oman said it was working to contain an oil spill off its southern coast after a tanker ran aground in June inside a protected marine area, triggering calls for action by environmentalists. The ship had been stranded for weeks near al-Qibliyyah island after it was rocked by explosions. The Oman Environment Authority on Monday said the ongoing spill had affected roughly 390 square kilometres, according to its most recent analysis.

The slick was concentrated around Oman's Hallaniyat archipelago off the country's southern coast, where a marine reserve was established last year to protect sensitive ecosystems home to diverse marine life, including rare sea turtles. The country's environment authority said rapid action was needed to protect the area's biodiversity, including "coral reefs, turtle nesting areas, marine habitats and coastal areas of ecological importance”. 

Diesel prices in the US and Europe surged Monday as a series of refinery disruptions tightened supplies of the fuel used by trucks, farmers, manufacturers and other major industries.

US ultra-low-sulfur diesel futures jumped 7.4% to $4.19 a gallon, the biggest one-day increase since July, while European diesel refining margins rose nearly 10%, Reuters reported. Diesel prices have been rising faster than crude oil benchmarks as traders focus increasingly on shortages of refined products rather than crude itself.

The latest pressure followed a Ukrainian attack on a refinery in Russia's Tatarstan region and renewed attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery, which has been offline since July 27. The Saudi facility is now expected to resume operations around Aug. 30.

The US Navy is the only force with control over the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump claimed late on Monday. Speaking during a White House event, he said: “The only one that has control of the Strait of Hormuz right now is the United States Navy. We have a blockade that’s been infallible—it’s a steel wall… We control the Strait, 100%.”

Trump added that the strait is “open now” for non-Iranian traffic and that US forces have "mine-swept" the entire waterway.

Trump called for Iran to compensate families of those killed by Iranian roadside bombs, conflicts led by General Soleimani, USS Cole victims, and hundreds of thousands of protesters over 50 years, including 52,000 in the last five months.

This responds to Iran's request for $300 billion, plus other demands like releasing frozen assets and lifting sanctions, amid threats to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.