AS IT HAPPENED: US fires pinpoint missile into tanker attempting to run blockade

Australia could be one of 60 countries to face a fresh 10 per cent tariff from the USA, after being accused of failing to do enough to stop forced labour.

In a statement, the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, claimed the countries failed to enact policies and practices that “effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour is unreasonable and burdens or restricts US commerce”.

“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field.” 

An attached report claimed Australia had “failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition” and that such failure was “unreasonable”.

Countries who have a forced labour import prohibition will face a 10 per cent tariff, while all other nations will be hit with a 12.5 per cent tariff.

Donald Trump has done one of his famous late-night Truth Social posts.

He has posted a photo of himself, we assume from quite some years ago, in a similar vein to how some James Bond posters look.

The caption, subtly, is “Trump 007”.

There is no caption to help deduce its meaning.

Strikes from both the USA and Iran have seen the price of oil spike.

The price of crude oil went up by US$1.05, or 1.09 percent, to settle at US$97.05 per barrel.

This came after the US carried out strikes on Qeshm Island, while Iran targeted drones at Kuwait and Bahrain.

The US military says, “an additional wave of Iranian drones” attempted to target American forces in Kuwait but the strike had failed.

US Central Command (CENTCOM0), which is responsible for Operation Epic Fury, said on X that its air defences successfully “downed multiple drones and ensured no American personnel or assets were harmed”.

The latest reported wave of attacks comes after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted US military assets and bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for the US attacking Qeshm Island overnight.

The United Nations chief has proposed three options to help end the decades-old conflict between Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and Israel when the 8100-member UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon ends on December 31.

All of the options presented to the UN Security Council by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would continue UN military monitoring of the boundary between Israel and Lebanon, support Lebanese forces in deploying throughout the country and strengthen political efforts to end the fighting, which has persisted despite a nominal ceasefire.

UN peacekeepers have played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, for decades. Six of the peacekeepers have been killed in recent months.

Under all three of Guterres’ options, he said, “a uniformed United Nations presence working to facilitate de-escalation, dialogue, liaison and coordination, and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces would be necessary.”

Guterres proposed three options for the UN military force, ranging from 5525 to 1980 personnel, including some unarmed military observers.

The US military says Iranian strikes targeting American air and naval bases in Bahrain have failed.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) responded to claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it has struck the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters and an American air base with missiles and drones.

“All Iranian attacks on American forces failed. US forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM posted on X.

Sirens have sounded in Bahrain today, as the country’s Interior Ministry called on citizens to “remain calm” and seek shelter at the nearest safe place.

Shortly before the announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed three missiles had hit “enemy bases” in Kuwait, while Kuwait’s army said it was intercepting “enemy” missile and drone attacks.

Iran’s state broadcaster later claimed that Iranian forces had targeted two air bases used by US forces in Kuwait. CNN has reached out to US Central Command for comment.

The US military says it has launched “self-defence” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island.

US Central Command CENTCOM said the strikes today were in response to “attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East.”

“Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbors; however, all failed to hit their intended targets. Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart enroute, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by U.S. and Bahrain air defense forces,” CENTCOM said on X.

The US struck an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island, according to CENTCOM, and no US personnel were harmed.

Fuel prices over the upcoming King’s Birthday long weekend are expected to remain steady, driven by the war’s erasure of historical price cycles in Australia’s capital cities.

New NRMA data shows the average price for regular unleaded petrol in Sydney is currently $174 per litre and has fallen 10 cents a litre in the past week.

The terminal gate price for regular unleaded is $162.2  has fallen 86.8 cents per litre since March 25.

Since the war began in late February, the historical price cycles across Australia’s largest cities has been erased, except for Perth.