day one hundred ninety-three (13. 802)

Hundreds protest IDF destruction of villages and cultural heritage sites in occupied Lebanon. Following the damage to the East-West pipeline crossing the Arabia peninsula overland, the Saudis attempt to reassure customers by seeking alternate routes through Oman. Without evidence, Trump tells reporters that direct talks with Tehran are ongoing, hopefully resolving the crisis soon and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea vacillates on troop deployment to the vital waterway, earlier succumbing to pressure by Trump to withdraw military assets from Asia with the US ally did not help in the Middle East. The America president approves the sale of sixty thousand one tonne bombs to Israel. US department of transportation relaxes rules on mandatory rest periods for long haul-truckers as a way to stave off fuel shortages and supply disruptions as petrol and diesel prices continue to rise, above eight dollars per gallon in some areas.