Hormuz Mines Cleared, CIA Chief Visits Moscow

President Trump announced that the US Navy has cleared all mines from the Strait of Hormuz, closing out the most dangerous phase of the confrontation with Iran and reopening the world's busiest oil chokepoint. The claim landed hours after CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Moscow, a visit whose purpose was not disclosed but that suggested Washington is working several channels at once. Elsewhere the map of confrontation kept shifting. Syria hardened into a proxy arena for Israel and Turkey after an Israeli strike hit a Syrian military airfield, with both powers pressing rival ambitions into the vacuum. In Sweden, the armed forces formally asked the government to expropriate a Russian-linked property next to the Muskö naval base, citing a rising drone threat. The economic front flared too: Canada imposed 50 percent retaliatory tariffs on American goods, escalating its trade dispute with Washington. Spain took a domestic turn, apologizing to the city of Ceuta over its handling of a migrant crisis and unveiling a reform of its immigration law. Meanwhile in Iran, survivors of January's crackdown said security forces fired to kill during the protests, adding grim detail to the death toll months later. The day closed on a quieter note as country music icon Dolly Parton died at 80, drawing tributes from across the industry.