{"id":61106,"date":"2026-04-20T15:38:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T19:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-iran-tensions-peak-as-senate-delays-military-vote-japan-pledges-6b-for-recycling\/61106\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T19:38:30","slug":"us-iran-tensions-peak-as-senate-delays-military-vote-japan-pledges-6b-for-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/us-iran-tensions-peak-as-senate-delays-military-vote-japan-pledges-6b-for-recycling\/61106\/","title":{"rendered":"US-Iran Tensions Peak as Senate Delays Military Vote; Japan Pledges $6B for Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Senate Majority Leader John Thune<\/strong> stated he does not anticipate a vote on an <strong>Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)<\/strong> by the 60-day deadline (May 1), urging the administration to present a clear exit strategy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The FAA has grounded Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket<\/strong> following a second-stage failure that left an AST SpaceMobile (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASTS\">ASTS<\/a>) satellite in an unusable orbit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan is pledging 1 trillion yen ($6 billion)<\/strong> toward critical mineral and plastic recycling, funded by the issuance of <strong>Green Transformation (GX) bonds<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran has conditioned its participation<\/strong> in upcoming Pakistan-mediated negotiations on the immediate lifting of the <strong>U.S. naval blockade<\/strong> in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea<\/strong> expressed confidence that Tehran will eventually relinquish its nuclear ambitions, despite reports of ceasefire violations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>U.S. Senate Navigates War Powers Deadline<\/h2>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader <strong>John Thune<\/strong> (R-SD) informed reporters that he does not expect the Senate to vote on a formal <strong>military force authorization<\/strong> before the 60-day mark of the current conflict with <strong>Iran<\/strong>. Under the <strong>War Powers Resolution of 1973<\/strong>, the executive branch faces a legal inflection point on <strong>May 1<\/strong>, requiring congressional approval to continue unauthorized hostilities.<\/p>\n<p>Thune emphasized that while the GOP conference remains supportive of the military&#39;s achievements, the administration must articulate a plan to <strong>wind down the conflict<\/strong> and ensure regional stability. Other senior Republicans, including <strong>Senator Thom Tillis<\/strong> (R-NC), have echoed this sentiment, suggesting that support for an <strong>AUMF<\/strong> depends on the White House providing a detailed strategy for the &quot;post-60-day&quot; phase.<\/p>\n<h2>FAA Orders Probe into Blue Origin Launch Failure<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)<\/strong> has officially ordered <strong>Blue Origin<\/strong> to conduct a mishap investigation following the failure of its <strong>New Glenn<\/strong> rocket\u2019s second stage on Sunday. The incident resulted in the <strong>AST SpaceMobile (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASTS\">ASTS<\/a>)<\/strong> BlueBird 7 satellite being placed into an &quot;off-nominal&quot; elliptical orbit, rendering it unable to sustain operations.<\/p>\n<p>While Blue Origin successfully recovered the first-stage booster, nicknamed <strong>&quot;Never Tell Me the Odds,&quot;<\/strong> the FAA has grounded the New Glenn program until a final report and corrective actions are approved. <strong>AST SpaceMobile (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASTS\">ASTS<\/a>)<\/strong> shares reacted to the news as the company confirmed the satellite would need to be deorbited, though it expects to recover costs through insurance.<\/p>\n<h2>Japan Targets $6 Billion in Green Recycling<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Japanese Government<\/strong> is moving forward with a <strong>1 trillion yen ($6 billion)<\/strong> investment initiative to build facilities for recycling <strong>critical minerals<\/strong> and plastics through the end of the decade. This funding will be facilitated through the issuance of <strong>Green Transformation (GX) bonds<\/strong>, a specialized form of sovereign transition debt aimed at decarbonizing Japan&#39;s industrial base.<\/p>\n<p>According to reports from <strong>Nikkei<\/strong>, the government will also provide subsidies for <strong>AI-powered sorting technology<\/strong> to enhance recycling efficiency and lower costs for operators. Additionally, Japan plans to assist <strong>ASEAN nations<\/strong> in establishing legal frameworks for resource circularity, aiming to secure regional supply chains for materials essential to the green energy transition.<\/p>\n<h2>Diplomatic Deadlock in Pakistan Talks<\/h2>\n<p>Diplomatic efforts to end the <strong>US-Iran war<\/strong> face significant hurdles as <strong>Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi<\/strong> accused the U.S. of &quot;unlawful conduct&quot; and ceasefire violations. Speaking with his Russian counterpart, <strong>Sergey Lavrov<\/strong>, Araqchi stated that Tehran would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national security against what he termed &quot;contradictory&quot; U.S. stances.<\/p>\n<p>Iran has signaled that it may not attend the second round of negotiations in <strong>Islamabad, Pakistan<\/strong>, unless the U.S. lifts its <strong>naval blockade<\/strong> of Iranian ports and the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. Despite these tensions, the <strong>U.S. Ambassador to the UN<\/strong> told <strong>Sky News Arabia<\/strong> that the U.S. remains confident Iran will join negotiations and eventually abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated he does not anticipate a vote on an Authorization for Use of 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