Good morning, a green light for research on psychedelic drugs.

We need the same sense of urgency that we had with HIV to address mental illness.

Also today, pro-lifers work together to fight abortion tourism.

And later, an Iranian-born pastor reacts to the war in his homeland. The people of Iran have been, I like to say, held hostage by these tyrants. And world commentator Count Thomas says redrawing congressional maps takes the country down a dangerous road.

It's Thursday, April 23rd. This is the world and everything in it for listeners-supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert. And I'm Merna Brown. Good morning. Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

Iranian forces fired on three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Wednesday, seizing two of them.

Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on a container ship off of Oman's Coast, damaging its bridge.

They hit another vessel hours later.

White House Press Secretary, Caroline Levitt.

Iran has gone from having the most lethal Navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of

pirates. They don't have control over the strait. This is piracy that we are seeing on display.

The White House says the seizures did not break the current ceasefire because neither ship flies

an American or an Israeli flag. In peacetime, about one-fifth of the world's oil supply

passes through the strait, and the threat of Iranian attacks there has impacted oil prices

globally. In time, peace talks between the U.S. and Iran are on ice. President Trump indefinitely

extended the ceasefire on Tuesday

to allow time for talks, but Iran thus far as refusing to return to the negotiating table until the U.S.

lifts a naval blockade of its ports. But Leavitt says in this diplomatic standoff, Washington has all the leverage.

We are strangling their main source of revenue. They can't pay their own people.

They're losing $500 million every single day.

Karg Island is completely full of oil because they can't transport it to and from.

So the president, the cards are in his hands.

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