☕ Why Iran re-shut the Strait

Good morning,

This morning, the White House confirmed that Vice-President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation to Pakistan for negotiations with Iranian officials, as the focus turns to the key sticking points to be discussed.

It’s expected the talks will center on Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium, the ability for ships to freely travel through the Strait of Hormuz, and how a number of key infrastructure sites in Iran will be rebuilt (and who will pay for it).

You can’t get more high-stakes negotiations than that.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• A Hawaii anesthesiologist has been convicted of attempted manslaughter after a Honolulu jury found him guilty of attacking his wife during a birthday hike on Oahu. Gerhardt Konig had faced a murder charge, but jurors downgraded the conviction after accepting the defense's argument that he acted under emotional distress upon learning his wife was having an affair with a co-worker. Prosecutors alleged Konig tried to push his wife off a cliff, injected her with a syringe, and struck her with a rock. Konig's wife had alleged he attacked her first.

• Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the government's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Department of Justice said Bondi, who was fired by President Trump last week, would not appear "since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general." The committee had subpoenaed Bondi amid scrutiny over her handling of the files, including allegations of improper redactions and delayed releases. Bipartisan calls have since emerged to subpoena Bondi in a personal capacity.

• Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" by prosecutors, was sentenced to 15 years in prison yesterday for her role in supplying the drugs that killed actor Matthew Perry. Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home's hot tub in October 2023. Sangha pleaded guilty to dealing ketamine - an anesthetic typically used in surgeries - to Perry, and a coroner found his death was caused by a ketamine overdose and drowning. The judge told Sangha she would need to show "epic resilience" while serving her sentence.

• Minutes from a Federal Reserve meeting held in March show some governors are now considering interest rate increases, a shift from recent signals that rates would fall. A "vast majority of officials" reportedly believe inflation will decline more slowly than expected, according to the minutes. The Fed's governors also noted that higher oil prices would "increase inflation in the near term and delay the anticipated decline in inflation." The news marks a reversal from recent Fed signals suggesting a willingness to cut rates as the U.S. economy recovers from an inflationary period.

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A former New York architect at the centre of a notorious murder case has pleaded guilty.

Rex Heuermann appeared in court this week to admit to the murders of eight women between 1993 and 2010. He will be sentenced later this year and is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Murders

The case, known as the Gilgo Beach killings, began after the bodies of Heuermann’s victims were discovered near Gilgo Beach on Long Island between 1993 and 2010.

Prosecutors say he used burner phones to arrange meetings before strangling his victims, and in some cases dismembering and moving their remains across multiple locations.

The victims were women in their twenties and early thirties. Many were reported to be sex workers he lured into meeting him.

Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 in connection with three murders, before being charged with four more over the following year.

Guilty plea

This week in court, Heuermann pleaded guilty to all seven murder charges. He also admitted to the 1996 murder of an eighth victim. He had not been charged with that killing.

Heuermann’s sentencing will take place at a hearing later this year, where the 62-year-old is expected to receive three consecutive life sentences without parole, along with four additional consecutive 100-year prison terms.

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A two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Iran, and Pakistan collapsed into dispute on its first day, with Iran striking neighboring countries and Israel continuing to bomb Lebanon - killing 254 people - as both sides traded conflicting claims over what the agreement actually covered. Iran has since closed the Strait of Hormuz in response. Here’s what you need to know.

Ceasefire

The ceasefire was announced on Tuesday after President Trump set a deadline for Iran to reach a peace deal. Hours after Trump posted to Truth Social that "a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again", the U.S., Iran, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the two-week agreement. Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of the deal. Sharif's statement said it applied "everywhere including Lebanon."

Lebanon

After joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, Iran-backed group Hezbollah (based in Lebanon) launched rockets into Israel. Israel responded with repeated strikes on southern Lebanon and announced on March 31 that it intends to occupy the region. The Lebanese Civil Defense Ministry said Israeli strikes killed 254 people and injured 1,165 people on the first day of the ceasefire.

Israel and the U.S. said the ceasefire did not cover Lebanon. "I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise," U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in Hungary.

Strait of Hormuz

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz - a critical global shipping route - in response to Israel's continued Lebanon strikes. Iranian state media reported the government plans to withdraw from the ceasefire if Israel continues. The Hormuz Strait Monitor recorded only 3 ships transiting in the 24 hours after the ceasefire was announced, representing around 2.2% of the average.

What’s next?

Peace talks are scheduled in Islamabad on April 11. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vance, Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and former Special Envoy Jared Kushner will attend. Sharif posted on X that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Iran's participation. "Pakistan remains committed to working closely with all its friends and partners to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond," Sharif said.

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