The United States launched a new round of air strikes on Iran on Tuesday, dashing hopes the conflict would not expand after direct exchanges over the weekend. Two oil tankers were hit on Monday while departing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route that Iran has effectively closed to shipping. Brent crude futures briefly surged almost 4% after the reports.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the 60-day negotiating window set out in a memorandum of understanding approved by President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders begins on Thursday. He said the next phase will address governance of the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington insisting the key oil-and-gas shipping route remain free of tolls. The interim pact pushed the hardest issues into later talks, and many analysts doubt a final settlement can be reached within the 60-day period, according to Reuters.

Australia is set to become the first country to bar children under 16 from major social media platforms starting Dec. 10, 2025. Britain, France, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries are advancing proposals that would shift more responsibility to platforms for age checks, content filtering and device-level controls. Major tech groups including Meta, Google and Apple are repeatedly cited as the rules could raise compliance costs and pressure user engagement and ad revenue. In the United States, the Kids Online Safety Act has cleared a key political hurdle, Reuters reported.

美国财政部未在午夜前发布俄罗斯海运石油制裁豁免延期公告，该豁免正式到期。特朗普称正评估是否重新实施制裁，并提及中东石油‘已开始流动’。此前豁免系为缓解伊朗战争引发的能源危机而设，现因美伊达成谅解备忘录而失去必要性。俄油出口占全球约12%，豁免终止将加剧供应收紧预期，直接冲击原油市场。

France and Britain are leading a roughly 20-country coalition to escort shipping and clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with France’s Charles de Gaulle carrier and several navies’ vessels positioned in the region. A U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding sets out reopening the strait within 30 days, but it does not end the war and instead extends talks by 60 days. Shipping groups say the lack of detail on timing and safe routes is keeping operators on the sidelines, and BIMCO’s security chief said the risk remains very high and does not yet recommend transits.