Chery Sets New Record with 148,777 Vehicles Exported in March, Up 72% YoY

On April 2 local time, Velayati, foreign affairs adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader and former foreign minister, said on his personal social media account that the Strait of Hormuz is open to the world, but will forever be closed to the enemies of the Iranian people and their bases in the region. Velayati said that the end of the conflict depends on Iran's decisions and strength, not on the delusions and arrogance of the aggressors.

Trump used cutting off weapons aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure European allies to join a joint operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. According to media reports on Thursday, informed sources revealed that after multiple European countries refused in mid-March to participate in the US-led Hormuz escort operation, Trump immediately threatened to stop supplying Purl, NATO’s weapons procurement mechanism established for Ukraine, and warned that he would completely withdraw support for Ukraine.

London-based mining services provider NorgeMineraler said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would directly affect Europe’s ability to build up its military strength, especially if supplies of critical minerals were disrupted. NorgeMineraler founder Michael Wurmser noted that sulfur was of particular concern because the Gulf region supplied 25% of the world’s sulfur. Enterprises in the region produce sulfur as a by-product of crude oil refining. Sulfur is used to extract copper and cobalt, both of which are minerals essential for scaling up and maintaining military hardware production.