Famed cartoonist Chappatte calls medium a 'barometer' of freedom

Bozeman, Mont. — Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell is asking the Montana Supreme Court to step into a dispute over whether ICE can get confidential information without going through Montana’s legal process, according to a May 1, 2026, press release.

The filing followed a directive from Attorney General Austin Knudsen that Cromwell said could put Gallatin County at legal risk and could affect privacy rights in Montana.

At the center of the case is a question about whether criminal justice information protected under the state constitution can be turned over to ICE for civil or administrative reasons without a court order.

The press release said Montana has traditionally required judges to review requests before confidential records are released.

"We would not be here if the Attorney General had simply picked up the phone or done his job and issued a formal legal opinion. Instead, we are dealing with public statements and theatrical directives issued without the clear legal foundation Montanans deserve," Cromwell said. "Montana’s Constitution provides some of the strongest privacy protections in the country and I swore an oath to uphold it," Cromwell said. "I am not interested in speculation or directives delivered through the media. I am interested in the law," Cromwell said.

A ruling from the Montana Supreme Court would give agencies across the state a clear legal answer on how to handle the issue, the release said. 

Cromwell is represented by Raph Graybill and Rachel Parker of Graybill Law Firm, according to the press release. 

Celebrated Swiss political cartoonist Patrick Chappatte, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Der Spiegel and other leading newspapers, said Monday his profession is on the "front line" of a battle for democracy.

"If you want to know the state of democracy in any nation in the world, just look at how satirists and cartoonists are treated," he told AFP at the opening of an exhibition in Geneva celebrating political cartooning worldwide.

"Autocrats detest ridicule and satire. So press cartoonists are on the front line," said Chappatte, who heads the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation.

At the exhibition, sponsored by Nobel prize-winning US economist Joseph Stiglitz, the foundation awarded its "courage in cartooning" prize to two artists who Chappatte said are "risking their lives" to do their work: Palestinian Safaa Odah and Ugandan Jimmy "Spire" Ssentongo.

Odah, a displaced woman living in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, makes drawings depicting the daily difficulties of life for Palestinians under Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

She draws with whatever materials she can find -- her family's plastic tent, for example -- and posts her work on social media.

Ssentongo, an academic and self-taught cartoonist, publishes his vitriolic drawings on X, and is regularly targeted with threats, in a country ruled for more than 40 years by President Yoweri Museveni.

"I'm afraid, humanly, knowing that anytime you can be picked up, but it's all about managing that fear," Ssentongo, 47, told AFP at the exhibition, "Cartoons for Freedom", presented at the Quai Wilson gallery on the shores of Lake Geneva.

"The fact that I'm scared is not enough to stop me... How can you keep quiet? I continue not because I'm not afraid... but just because I have a stronger push from within. Despite the fear, you have to do something, you have to continue speaking."

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Kimi Antonelli proved that age is no barrier and that he is on track to becoming a Formula One great with his stunning third straight career win. 

At just 19, he became the first Italian to win three races in succession since Alberto Ascari in 1952 and will head to Montreal with a 20-point lead as the youngest leader of the drivers’ championship in F1 history.  

AFP looks at three things we learned from Sunday’s race:

- Real deal Antonelli -

Few paddock regulars were ready for this and many were dismissive of claims, emanating from Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff, that Antonelli was a generational talent. 

But his hard-earned win, under pressure from McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris, ended those doubts. 

By becoming the first driver to turn his first three consecutive poles into victories, after another almost-trademark poor start, Antonelli has stirred the passions of his peers and the expectations of Italy’s motor racing fans. 

His team-mate George Russell, nine years his senior and in his eighth F1 season, was a hot pre-season title favourite and won the opening race, but has since been unable to establish his authority 

For Wolff, torn between joyous celebration and cold management-speak, it is a welcome dilemma as Mercedes sit atop the constructors’ title race and plan a major upgrade package in Canada. 

"It’s astounding, these few races,” said Wolff. 

"In a way, it's what we predicted as a team – to have ups and downs last season, with moments of brilliance, but moments too when you want to tear your hair out. 

"But this year, it’s coming together and I don't think anyone expected this. He has monetised on it every single weekend and it’s special. It’s his best race so far and reminds me of his karting days. 

"It is easier to calm someone down that is wild because you won’t be able to accelerate a donkey."

Wolff’s decision to fast-track Antonelli into Mercedes in 2024, before he had passed his normal road car driving test, raised eyebrows. On Sunday night, he placed him alongside tennis star Jannik Sinner in Italy’s sporting galaxy. 

"The easiest bit is making sure that he keeps both feet on the ground within the team - his parents have done a great job," said Wolff. 

"The bigger problem is the Italian public. 

"Now that they are not qualified for the football World Cup, it is all about Sinner and Antonelli. It is the two superstars -- and that is something that we need to contain."

- Mercedes still top -

Antonelli’s win kept Mercedes on top and confirmed that, despite major upgrades at McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, and a host of tweaks to the regulations, they remain the pace-setters. 

The race supplied plenty of incident and much of the new 'yo-yo' overtaking as batteries were recharging or boosting speed. 

"It’s still pretty crazy, to be honest," said McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who finished third. 

"The closing speeds are huge and trying to anticipate that as a defending driver is incredibly tough. So, not much has really changed."

Wolff hit back at any critics still claiming the spectacle was artificial. 

"Anyone who complains after that race should hide," he said. "Honestly, it was a great advert for F1."

- FIA open to more change -  

While Mercedes purred, others were encouraged to hear that the current hybrid era may be short lived as the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem forecast a return for V8 engines and a paddock return for former Red Bull boss Christian Horner. 

He also said the FIA were looking into multi-team ownership in F1 in the future. 

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(The Center Square) - Voters in Ohio will head to polls on Tuesday to select their respective party nominees after the state legislature conducted a mid-decade redistricting effort to yield greater representation for Republicans in Congress.

Voters in the Buckeye state will head to polls to engage in competitive races for federal and statewide representatives. Here are some of those races.

Governor

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in the Buckeye state. Instead, a competitive race to succeed the governor is taking place with high-profile names vying for the spot.

Vivek Ramasway and Casey Putsch are all vying for the Republican nomination in the state’s governors race. Ramaswamy previously ran against President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump endorsed Ramaswamy shortly after he announced the bid for governor in 2025. The endorsement appears to have propelled Ramaswamy to the top of the Republican ticket.

“Vivek is a very good person who truly loves our Country,” Trump wrote on social media. “He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”

Putsch, an entrepreneur, has focused his campaign on targeting DEI programs and immigrant work visas. He has specifically targeted abuses in the H-1B visa lottery system, which recruits high-skilled immigrants to work in technology and science sectors throughout the country.

“Ohio is suffering under a corrupt, out of touch political establishment that is selling out the state to mass immigration, data center special interests and more,” Putsch wrote.

Ramaswamy’s running mate is Ohio Senate President Rob McColley. He has served in the state senate since 2017.

Either Ramaswamy or Patsch will go on to face Dr. Amy Acton, the sole Democratic candidate in Ohio’s gubernatorial race.

U.S. Senate

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted is looking to win his first election to the congressional body after being appointed to fill Vice President JD Vance’s open Senate seat. Ohio’s U.S. Senate race will count as a special election to determine who fills the remainder of Vance’s term, which is set to end in 2028.

Husted faces no challenger in Tuesday’s Republican primary, but a slew of Democrats are vying for the nomination to face off against him in the November election.

Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown appears to be the frontrunner to challenge Husted in November. Brown previously served as a U.S. Senator for nearly 20 years before being ousted by Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in 2024.

Brown has attacked Husted’s voting record and called for bans of stock trading in Congress. He also criticized Husted’s vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill. Brown has also criticized giving tax breaks to corporations.

“Ohio deserves a leader who is focused on bringing down costs and making Ohioans’ lives easier every single day,” Brown wrote.

Brown will face off against Rob Kincaid for the Democratic nomination. Kincaid proposed a tax on artificial intelligence and automation companies to mitigate the loss of jobs in Ohio.

“The result is a modest, guaranteed monthly dividend that helps families cover essentials like rent, groceries, and utilities — without replacing the dignity or value of a good job,” Kincaid wrote.

U.S. House

In District 1, incumbent Democrat Greg Landsman will look to defend his seat in Congress after the Ohio legislature redrew congressional district boundaries in October 2025. The new map appears to be aimed at unseating Landsman as more Republican favoring areas will now be included in his district.

Landsman has highlighted his work to lower healthcare costs and cap insulin costs. He boasted of his prior city council work designed to get wage increases.

“Greg is focused on investing in job training and small businesses, raising the minimum wage, and protecting the right to organize,” Landsman’s campaign website reads.

Three Republicans have declared candidacy to represent Ohio’s first congressional district. Holly Adams, Eric Conroy and Rosemary Oglesby-Henry have thrown their names in the ring.

Conroy, an Air Force veteran and former CIA officer, has focused his campaign on increased national security and competition with foreign nations, like China.

“I care deeply about policies that strengthen American competitiveness, support working families, ensure energy independence, and uphold the rule of law,” Conroy wrote.

With new traditionally Republican communities in the district, the race toward a general election will be especially competitive in Ohio’s first district.

Ohio voters will also head to the polls on Tuesday to select candidates for secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general and the state legislature. Ohio has a Republican trifecta, which means the state senate, house and governor’s office are all controlled by the GOP.

Voters will elect 17 of the Senate’s 33 seats in 2026 and will elect all 99 offices in the state’s House of Representatives. The Senate currently has a 23-9 Republican majority while the House has a 65-34 majority.

Early voting ends today. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m on Tuesday.

World officials pushed Monday for faster action to reduce methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector, arguing it would both help slow climate change and boost energy security as the Middle East war chokes off supply.

Using its role as rotating president of the Group of Seven industrialised powers, France convened government officials, industry leaders and experts to build momentum on cutting methane emissions ahead of the UN's COP31 climate summit in November.

Methane, the second biggest contributor to climate change, stays in the atmosphere for far less time than carbon dioxide, but its warming effect is roughly 80 times more potent over a 20-year period.

"I sincerely hope that the discussions we will have today will enable us to join our forces to accelerate the implementation of effective solutions to reduce methane emissions," French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut said in a speech.

"Of course, action on methane is not a fight of any single actor and nobody can win it alone," Barbut said.

Under the Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, nearly 160 countries committed to cutting global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared with 2020 levels.

But Barbut said the world remains "very far" from meeting that goal.

Around 60 percent of methane emissions are linked to human actions.

The fossil fuel sector -- oil, gas and coal -- accounts for 35 percent of methane emissions from human activity, the International Energy Agency said in a report on Monday.

"Yet there is still no sign that methane emissions from fossil fuel operations are falling, despite well-known and proven mitigation pathways," according to the IEA's Global Methane Tracker 2026.

Such emissions from the sector remained "near record highs", the report said.

- Time to 'pull this lever' -

Methane emissions from the energy sector come from leaks from gas pipelines and other infrastructure, or are deliberately released during maintenance procedures.

Officials at the Paris conference said that cutting leaks and flaring from oil and gas operations could increase the availability of energy while slashing planet-heating emissions.

"We could have three times more gas on the market if we eliminated this waste," the European Union's energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, said. "This shows that methane abatement and energy security are not competing priorities."

"Methane is the single fastest lever we have to limit near-term warming. We can no longer wait to pull this lever," Jorgensen added.

Oil prices have soared since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February and Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response.

The IEA said 20 percent, or around 110 billion cubic metres, of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) flowed through the Strait of Hormuz last year.

Nearly 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas could be made available annually through a global effort to cut methane from oil and gas operations, the IEA said.

A further 100 billion cubic metres would be unlocked through the elimination of non-emergency flaring worldwide, it added.

"Reducing methane emissions remains one of the best things we can do to slow global warming while cleaning up our air, improving public health, and increasing our energy security," British energy minister Ed Miliband said in a video message.

Agriculture is also a major emitter through livestock -- cows and sheep release methane during digestion and in their manure -- and rice cultivation, where flooded fields create ideal conditions for methane-emitting bacteria. 

Discarded household waste also creates large amounts of methane if left to rot in landfills.

"We must, however, be clear the energy sector offers today the fastest and often the most cost effective reductions," Barbut said.

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A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship, on which three people have died, presents a low risk to the public, the WHO Europe said Monday, as Dutch authorities planned to repatriate two sick people.

"The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions," the World Health Organization's director for Europe Hans Kluge said in a statement, adding that hantavirus infections were "uncommon and usually linked to exposure to infected rodents".

In its first statement on the crisis, the vessel's operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed three deaths on board the MV Hondius, travelling across from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde off the coast of west Africa.

Two died on board and one after disembarking the ship. One passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg and two others "require urgent medical care", the statement said.

"Dutch authorities have agreed to lead a joint effort to organise the repatriation of the two symptomatic individuals on board MV Hondius from Cape Verde to the Netherlands," the operator said.

Such a repatriation would depend on several factors, including authorisation from local officials in Cape Verde, said Oceanwide Expeditions.

An AFP photographer saw the ship on Monday morning, anchored in the port of Praia, off the coast of Cape Verde.

In a statement sent to AFP, the Dutch foreign ministry said it was "busy looking at the possibilities to medically evacuate a few people from the ship".

"If this can take place, the ministry of foreign affairs will coordinate it," said a spokesperson.

- 'Acting with urgency' -

While local doctors have visited to assess the medical condition of the two sick passengers, no permission has been given to evacuate them to shore.

"Disembarkation and medical screening of all passengers require coordination with local health authorities and we are in close consultation with them," said the operator.

The WHO said it was "acting with urgency to support the response to the hantavirus event on board a cruise vessel in the Atlantic, following the tragic loss of life".

"WHO Europe is working with the countries involved to support medical care, evacuation, investigations and public health risk assessment."

Hantavirus, an illness usually transmitted to humans from rodents, has been confirmed in the passenger currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, the operator said.

However, it has not yet been established whether the virus caused the three deaths, said Oceanwide Expeditions.

There has also been no confirmation of hantavirus in the two symptomatic passengers still requiring attention on the ship.

"The exact cause and any possible connection are under investigation," said the ship's operator.

On Sunday, the WHO said one case of hantavirus had been confirmed and that there were "five additional suspected cases."

"While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response," the United Nations health agency said.

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Hantavirus, the disease which has caused a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship in the southern Atlantic, circulates in rodents and can be deadly when transmitted to humans.

Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed Monday it was dealing with "a serious medical situation" on board the MV Hondius, travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Hantaviruses are among the pathogens that can cause respiratory and cardiac distress, as well as haemorrhagic fevers. 

There are no vaccines or specific medications to combat hantaviruses, meaning treatment consists solely of attempting to relieve the symptoms.

- The virus -

There are many types of hantavirus, which vary in their geographical spread and their pathologies, according to Switzerland's FOPH health ministry.

"Human-to-human transmission has only been observed with one single virus type, which is extremely rare," it says.

Hantaviruses are found on every continent.

The virus is named after the Hantan River in South Korea, where more than 3,000 troops fell seriously ill after becoming infected with it during the 1950-1953 Korean War, the FOPH says.

- Transmission -

Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans through infected wild rodents, such as mice or rats, which shed the virus in their saliva, urine, and droppings.

A bite, contact with these rodents or their droppings, or breathing in contaminated dust can cause infection.

The French National Public Health Agency says human infection generally occurs through the inhalation of dust and aerosols contaminated by the excretions of infected animals.

This is typically "during activities in forests, or in long uninhabited buildings near forests, as well as during activities in rural areas where fields and farms offer a favourable environment for reservoir rodents", it says.

The only way to minimise the risk of infection is to avoid contact with rodents and their secretions and excretions.

The World Health Organization's Europe director Hans Kluge said hantavirus infections are "uncommon" and "it is not easily transmitted between people".

"The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions," he said Monday.

- Diagnosis -

Suspected cases can be confirmed through various laboratory tests, according to the WHO, including through "the presence of hantavirus-specific IgM antibodies".

- Onset -

The two most common illnesses caused by infection are haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia; and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), caused by viruses found in the Americas.

The hantavirus types in the Americas can also cause pulmonary oedema or acute respiratory failure.

Different health authorities give varying time periods before symptoms start to manifest.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPS symptoms usually start to show one to eight weeks after contact.

HFRS symptoms usually develop within one to two weeks after exposure, and in rare cases, up to eight weeks, says the CDC.

- Symptoms -

Though most cases of hantavirus infection pass unnoticed, according to Switzerland's FOPH, hantaviruses can cause infections of varying severity in humans -- sometimes fatal.

The first clinical symptoms generally present like flu: fever, headache, and muscle aches.

The CDC says four to 10 days after initial HPS illness, late symptoms appear, which include coughing and shortness of breath. "Patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid," it says.

The types of hantavirus prevalent in Europe and Asia can cause kidney dysfunction and even acute kidney failure.

- Fatality rate -

The Public Health Agency of Canada says around 200 HPS cases occur each year, primarily in North and South America, putting the average case fatality rate at 40 percent.

It adds that between 150,000 and 200,000 HFRS cases occur each year worldwide, most of which are in China, where the average case fatality rate is from one to 12 percent.

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Dutch authorities will attempt to repatriate two sick people from a cruise ship battling a suspected outbreak of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives, the vessel's operator said Monday.

In a statement on the crisis, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed it was dealing with "a serious medical situation" on board the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.

The operator confirmed the three deaths, two on board and one after disembarking the ship. One passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg and two others "require urgent medical care," the statement said.

"Dutch authorities have agreed to lead a joint effort to organise the repatriation of the two symptomatic individuals on board MV Hondius from Cape Verde to the Netherlands," the operator said.

Such a repatriation would depend on several factors, including authorisation from local officials in Cape Verde, said Oceanwide Expeditions.

Contacted by AFP, the Dutch foreign ministry did not immediately respond to confirm the repatriation efforts.

The ship is currently located off the coast of Cape Verde. While local doctors have visited to assess the medical condition of the two sick passengers, no permission has been given to evacuate them to shore.

"Disembarkation and medical screening of all passengers require coordination with local health authorities and we are in close consultation with them," said the operator.

Hantavirus, an illness usually transmitted to humans from rodents, has been confirmed in the passenger currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, the operator said.

However, it has not yet been established whether the virus caused the three deaths, said Oceanwide Expeditions.

There has also been no confirmation of hantavirus in the two symptomatic passengers still requiring attention on the ship.

"The exact cause and any possible connection are under investigation," said the ship's operator.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization said one case of hantavirus had been confirmed and that there were "five additional suspected cases."

"While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response," said the WHO.

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The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Iran warns over Hormuz - 

Iran's military said that US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump announced Washington would begin escorting ships through the blocked waterway.

"We warn that any foreign armed force -- especially the aggressive US military -- if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," said Major General Ali Abdollahi of the Iranian military's central command, in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

"We have repeatedly stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and under all circumstances, any safe passage must be coordinated with these forces," he added.

- Tanker struck near the UAE -

Unidentified projectiles struck a tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Monday, adding that all crew members were safe.

The incident occurred 78 nautical miles north of the UAE city of Fujairah, the agency said. 

- US to escort ships through Hormuz -

President Donald Trump said Sunday that "very positive discussions" were under way with Iran on resolving the war and that US forces will soon start escorting ships out of the blocked Strait of Hormuz in a mission dubbed "Project Freedom."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called it a "humanitarian gesture," saying many of the marooned ships "were running low on food," but offered few details on how the mission would work.

US Central Command said on X that its forces would begin supporting Project Freedom with guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.

- US 'interference' would violate ceasefire -

In response to Trump's announcement, a senior Iranian official warned on Monday that Tehran would consider any US attempt to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz a breach of the ongoing ceasefire.

"Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire," Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran's parliament, posted on X.

- Iran weighs US response to plan -

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday the United States faced a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a deal with Tehran, after Trump disparaged Iran's latest peace proposal.

Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan "focused on ending the war" and that Washington had already responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators, which Iran was reviewing.

- Germany's Merz not 'giving up' on working with US -

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he would not give up on working with Trump, despite a spat between the leaders over the Iran war and Trump's announcement that the number of US troops stationed in the European country would be cut by "a lot further than 5,000."

"I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship," Merz told public broadcaster ARD. "Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump."

- US says blockade 'suffocating' Iran -

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that the US was "suffocating" Iran's leadership through an "economic blockade" launched alongside Washington's military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury.

"This began with the order last March from President Trump on max pressure, and three weeks ago the president gave the order to Treasury myself to begin Economic Fury," Bessent told Fox News.

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Iran's military warned on Monday that US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the waterway.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran took effect on April 8, with Tehran's stranglehold on the strait a main point of contention.

Trump said on Sunday that the new maritime operation, which he dubbed "Project Freedom", was a "humanitarian" gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade who may be running low on food and other supplies.

"We will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation," Trump posted on Truth Social, saying operations would begin on Monday.

In response, the Iranian military's central command said any safe passage through Hormuz must be coordinated with its forces "under all circumstances".

"We warn that any foreign armed force -- especially the aggressive US military -- if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," said Major General Ali Abdollahi in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

By blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has choked off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump in his post said he was "fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."

But he made no direct mention of a 14-point plan that Tehran said it put forward last week to end the war.

US Central Command said it would use guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members in the Hormuz effort.

As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine.

- 'Impossible operation' -

US news website Axios, citing two sources briefed on the Iranian proposal, reported that Tehran set "a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the strait", lift the US naval blockade and end the war.

On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the onus back on Trump, saying he must choose between "an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran". 

Washington's European allies are concerned that the longer the strait remains closed, the more their economies will suffer, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul demanded that it be reopened.

In a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Wadephul stressed that Germany supported a negotiated solution but that "Iran must completely and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz".

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to coordinate a post-war mission to the strait alongside Britain and an international coalition, called for "a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran".

"That is the only solution for reopening", he said.

Oil prices are currently about 50 percent above pre-conflict levels, largely due to the supply snarls in the strait.

- 'Suffocating the regime' -

The US president, who spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, declined on Sunday to specify what could trigger new US military action.

But in his post he said that "if in any way, this Humanitarian (ship-guiding) process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully".

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US naval blockade was only part of a broader economic embargo.

"We are suffocating the regime, and they are not able to pay their soldiers," he told Fox News. "This is a real economic blockade, and it is in all parts of government."

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