Latest
Distress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Latest
American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on baseball bests and restaurant revamps
The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
This week’s quiz highlights baseball bests, restaurant revamps — and a lot more.
Can you get all 8 questions right?
Give it a try and see how you do!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.
Also, to take our latest News Quiz — published every Friday — click here.
Latest
Titan submersible widow says remains of husband and son came back in what looked like small ‘shoeboxes’
Christine Dawood, the widow who lost her husband and son in the Titan Submersible disaster three years ago, said she remembers getting their remains back nine months after the implosion in two small boxes — like “shoeboxes.”
“We didn’t get the bodies for nine months,” Dawood told the Guardian in a story published on Saturday. “Well, when I say bodies, I mean the slush that was left. They came in two small boxes, like shoeboxes.”
She added that “There wasn’t much they could find” of Shahzada Dawood, 48, and their son, Suleman, 19, of London, after the implosion.
“They have a big pile they can’t separate, all mixed DNA, and they asked if I wanted some of that, too. But I said no, just what you know is Suleman and Shahzada.”
Shahzada and Suleman were killed along with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, businessman Hamish Harding and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, when the submersible imploded as it descended toward the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18, 2023.
Dawood told the Guardian she remembers the last time she saw her husband and son that morning they got in the submersible as she battled seasickness aboard the ship that took them out to where they descended.
“Suleman had his Rubik’s Cube, because he was planning to get the record for solving it at the deepest depth ever,” she remembered. “And we were giggling, because Shahzada is clumsy and when he was going down the stairs he was wobbling a bit. I waved. And that was it. They got into a dinghy and sped off. It went very fast, the goodbye.”
A few hours later in the ship’s dining room, Dawood heard someone say: “They’ve lost communications.”
When they realized she overheard, the person added: “’Don’t worry, it’s not unusual.’ In that moment, what am I supposed to do? I felt trapped on that ship and I had no choice but to trust what they told me.”
She said she tried to keep her anxiety at bay, telling herself, “they were stuck” in the submersible.
LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST
“But I was worried. Suleman is not … well, both my men, they’re not very good at being in the dark, and I knew it would be a very different darkness down there. Nothing. You literally can’t see a thing,” she said.
She said everyone on the ship was in complete denial.
“The crew were [acting] like nothing was happening,” she said, saying the crew suggested it would just take time for the crew to be found unharmed.
“It did cross my mind that OceanGate had ulterior motivations about what they told us,” she added. “They were just trying to avoid the truth. But I would have deteriorated a lot quicker without hope.”
As they waited, she said the crew scheduled jamming sessions and movies to pass the time.
“Ultimately, I think they wanted to distract people, keep everyone occupied,” she said. “They wanted everyone onside, not to feed anything to the press. But jamming sessions? Am I really going to sit there and sing Kumbaya? I did try to give a movie a go, but when I got there it felt like an act of betrayal. Watching ‘Wayne’s World’ while they are trapped in the dark did not sit well with me.”
After an extensive search, the remains of the submersible were found on the ocean floor.
The U.S. Coast Guard called it a “catastrophic implosion.”
“My first thought was, thank God,” Dawood said. “When they said catastrophic, I knew Shahzada and Suleman didn’t even know about it. One moment they were there and the next they weren’t. Knowing they didn’t suffer has been so important. They’re gone, but the way they went does somehow make it easier.”
Once she knew they were gone, Dawood said she had to deal with the practical details.
“What was I going to do with their stuff?” she said. “Their bags? Shahzada’s clothes and things were in my cabin, so I packed his bags. But I didn’t pack Suleman’s. I couldn’t. Someone else did that.”
RODEO STAR’S SON REMEMBERED BY FAMILY ON 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DROWNING DEATH
Last year, the Coast Guard released a report, calling the implosion a “preventable tragedy,” blaming OceanGate’s culture of avoiding regulating and “negligence” on safety.
“From the beginning, I had a lot of reasons to hate Stockton, but does that really help me?” Dawood said. “He died with them. If I’m angry with him, I’m giving him power, and I refuse to do that. I’m sure people will say I’m naive, but if I start to analyse every single thing, where does that lead me? So, I choose my own … not happiness but … I choose me, every day. If I don’t, I wouldn’t be here. I would have killed myself, for sure.”
She added that she tries to give her grief “attention.”
“So I go into Suleman’s room. Sometimes I find the cat sleeping on his pillow and I sit on the bed and let the grief come,” she admitted. “And after a while I can put the grief away until the next time it gets too much. I’ve worked a lot on my grief for Suleman, but I’m only now starting to grieve for my husband. Publicly they are always put together, but they are two different relationships. Two very different pains.”
Latest
Work of scientists in ‘suspicious’ disappearances is prime target for hostile foes: retired FBI agent
As about a dozen cases involving missing or deceased American nuclear scientists have come to light, a retired high-level FBI official says some of them fit a pattern that he considers suspicious.
“The missing [and] disappearance thing is suspicious inherently,” said Chris Swecker, who served as assistant director of the FBI. “What they were working on would certainly, without a doubt, be a target of a hostile foreign intelligence service like Russia or China. It could be Iran, could be Pakistan.”
Swecker believes the six deaths that have been widely reported don’t have much in common, and he doesn’t believe they’re connected.
While Swecker isn’t convinced that there’s a conspiracy afoot even among the missing scientists, he agrees that authorities should be looking for links in the disappearances, given the high-value, sensitive technology that they all worked with or near.
The disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland earlier this year set off the cascade of theories about the missing and dead scientists. He was the former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, and had connections to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where top-secret nuclear research is conducted.
He vanished in New Mexico after leaving his home with only a pair of boots and a handgun. He left his phone, keys and glasses behind.
“I’m just saying that … the FBI would have interest in anything that happened to them because of what they were working on,” he said. “And, in fact, [with] McCasland, the FBI showed up uninvited that very afternoon.“
STATE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE ALLEGEDLY REMOVED CLASSIFIED DOCS, MET WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS
Anthony Chavez, 79, worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory until he retired in 2017. He reportedly disappeared on May 8, 2025. He was last seen leaving his house in Los Alamos on foot, with his car locked in his driveway. He did not bring his phone, wallet or keys on his walk.
Melissa Casias, 53, also worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She went missing on June 26, 2025.
Steven Garcia, 48, went missing from Albuquerque on Aug. 28, 2025. He worked at the Kansas City National Security Campus, located in Albuquerque, which develops most of the nonnuclear components that go into building nuclear weapons. He reportedly left on foot carrying only a handgun.
He reportedly had a top secret security clearance.
“So Garcia, Chavez and Casias, in my opinion, ought to be lumped in and that should be the focus, and any others that went missing, because that would fit more of a pattern than just killing somebody because of what they know,” said Swcker.
“Exact same pattern,” he continued. “They disappeared with all their personal belongings [left] behind. Some of them took their handguns with them, which means they’re either in fear or they’re going to go use it on themselves.”
IS THERE A NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER? FORMER FBI AGENT WITH REGIONAL TIES REVEALS HIS THEORY
Swecker also had a warning for scientists working in top-secret fields.
“What people really need to be aware of — anybody involved in technology and anything that China or Russia or our competitors want to get their hands — ought to understand that there is a daily collection effort by China, Russia, Iran, to some extent, North Korea, but mainly China and Russia to steal technology because they’re not good at [research and development],” he said. “And their whole programs depend on stealing the technology and reverse engineering it.”
“So, scientists, people involved in the defense contracting companies, research and development at universities, you know, all types of technologies in the U.S., even if it’s not military use, ought to be aware that this type of stuff goes on day in and day out.”
Last week, the White House directed the FBI to coordinate an investigation into the cases. The investigation is ongoing.
-
Latest2 weeks agoVance Leaves Meeting, Looks Straight Into Camera, Announces Stunning Arrest
-
News1 week agoAdam Schiff Facing 30 Years In Prison After Bank Records Leak
-
Latest2 weeks agoSupreme Curt Sides With Trump — He Can Remove The All
-
News2 weeks agoAll Hell Breaks Loose On Fox When Jesse Watters Asks Fetterman One Question
-
News2 weeks agoNBC Stops LIVE Broadcast — Breaks Big Trump News
-
News2 weeks agoSwalwell Facing Jail Time After Sickening New Video Leaks
-
Latest1 week agoUT Judge Drops Bombshell In Charlie Kirk Killer Case
-
Latest2 weeks agoMelania Gets Huge Surprise 24 Hours After Making Epstein Announcement
