Iran bags US hardware, German voters revolt, and Zelensky survives a 160km ‘near-miss’: RT stories that shaped the week

RT’s essential stories of the past seven days included an oil-price surge, an AfD shockwave in Germany, and increasingly alarming warnings about AI Gulf turns into a shooting galleryThe US-Iran conflict moved increasingly onto the water this week, with oil tankers, warships, and drones all getting involved around one of the world’s most important shipping routes.Washington struck five Iranian crude carriers on Tuesday after previously attacking three other commercial vessels. Tehran retaliated, claiming strikes on eight tankers and two US Navy vessels, while an Iranian attack reportedly damaged several US warplanes at an airbase in Jordan.Iran also captured an American underwater drone and, two days later, released footage of a US Saildrone surveillance vessel burning in the water. Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control and has announced plans for another restricted shipping zone nearby.Oil markets reactThe escalating hostilities saw Brent crude surge back above $100 a barrel this week, breaking the threshold for the first time in months.Meanwhile, Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure have added to fears of further disruption as the kingdom’s o...