Tracey Mumford

It wasn't immediately clear who the ships belonged to or where they would be headed.

Still, any oil or gas getting through would be a major development.

Since Iranian forces all but cut off the crucial waterway, global energy prices have soared.

The cost of oil has climbed over 50% compared to before the war.

And in the U.S., gas prices are approaching an average of $4 a gallon.

Now, more on an energy crisis in a different part of the world.

For months, the U.S.

has had an effective oil blockade on Cuba as the Trump administration tries to force political and economic changes in the communist-ruled country.

It has cut the island off from fuel, upending everyday life there.

Jack Nickus covers Cuba for The Times, and he says some of the most severe consequences so far have been to the country's health care system.

This weekend, the Times learned that the U.S.

Coast Guard will allow one tanker full of oil to reach Cuba, buying the nation at least a few weeks before its reserves totally run out, according to analysts.

The ship, which is owned by the Russian government, was already very close to the island as of last night.

It's unclear why the White House is letting it through, though the decision avoids a potentially thorny confrontation with Russia in the waters just off the coast of Florida.

In Washington, to catch you up quickly on the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, it is still shut down with no new funding.

Just hours after Senate Republicans struck a deal with Democrats to fund everything at DHS except ICE and Border Patrol, House Republicans angrily rejected that.

That highlighted a major rift within the party, with hard-right Republicans in the House ripping on their counterparts in the Senate for what they consider caving to Democrats' demands.

The stalemate has resulted in the exact situation many lawmakers have been trying to avoid.

Congress is now scheduled to be off for Easter break.

That means the partial shutdown will likely last until mid-April at least.