Here's the latest
• Strait of Hormuz: Two US-flagged vessels have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the military said, after denying Iranian media claims that a US ship was hit by missiles from Iran. President Donald Trump said US forces would help guide stranded vessels today.
• Impact on economy: Oil prices rose and stocks fell on renewed concerns about the safety of transiting the waterway, which has remained almost empty of traffic so far today, according to shipping data sites. US gas prices could reach $5 a gallon if the strait remains closed, an oil market expert says.
• In Lebanon: The Israeli military has issued a fresh evacuation order for four villages in southern Lebanon. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group has continued to trade strikes with Israel during a fragile ceasefire.
Central Command says 2 US-flagged merchant vessels have gone through Strait of Hormuz; Tehran denies it
Two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said this morning.
“American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping,” US Central Command said in a post on X.
The ships’ successful navigation of the strait comes a day after President Donald Trump vowed to guide vessels through the waterway, where Iran is attempting to control shipping.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, claimed no commercial vessels or oil tankers had transited the Strait of Hormuz in recent hours, rejecting statements by US officials as “baseless” and “outright lies,” according to a statement carried by Iran-semi official Tasnim News on Monday.
The IRGC said that “other maritime movements” that run contrary to principles announced by the IRGC Navy “face serious risks,” and warned that vessels deemed to be in violation would be “forcibly stopped,” as cited by Tasnim.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
A tectonic collision gave Iran its oil riches — and the control over their flow
A major obstacle in the US and Iran’s attempts to end the war is the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway effectively closed by Iran.
The closure of the strait has caused global oil prices to soar and inflation to rise, demonstrating just how significant it is in relation to the global economy.
Here’s a look at how the strait came to be:
Around 35 million years ago, the Arabian tectonic plate began colliding with its Eurasian counterpart, causing the prehistoric Tethys Ocean that once separated the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana to shrink.
Laurasia would later morph into North America, Europe and parts of Asia, while Gondwana fragmented into South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia and India. But the ancient sea did not disappear entirely, for a remnant of it survives today, in the form of the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts say the geological process that created the critical waterway – now an emergent new frontier in the US and Israel’s war with Iran – is the very same process which gave the region its oil riches in the first place.
According to National Geographic, as the Arabian plate began to move further under the Eurasian plate, the two plates crumpled together, creating the Zagros Mountains – an impressive stretch of peaks that still exist in Iran. The weight of these mountains depressed part of the Arabian plate, causing the strait to form.
For hundreds of millions of years before the Arabian plate collided into Eurasia, it sat below sea level, providing the perfect environment for crude oil to form, according to National Geographic.
That is because when animals and plants in marine environments die, their remains fall to the bottom of the seabed, slotting between layers of silt and sand. Then, over millions of years and under intense heat and pressure, these remains morph into what we call crude oil.
“You can have the most powerful military the world has ever seen but standing in its way will be nature,” said Tim Marshall, author of best-selling book “Prisoners of Geography,” testifying to the strategic importance of the strait.
“No wonder the Assyrians called the Persian Gulf ‘The Bitter Sea’,” he wrote in March.
Explosion rocks South Korean ship at Strait of Hormuz, officials say
An explosion and fire occurred Monday on a South Korean-linked vessel at the Strait the Hormuz, according to spokesperson from the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
The Panama-flagged ship was carrying 24 crew members, including six South Koreans, and docked by the strait near the United Arab Emirates before the explosion occurred. No casualties have been reported, the ministry said.
The ministry said the cause of the explosion and fire is not immediately known and that the government is checking details of the damage.
“The government will closely communicate with the relevant countries on this issue and take necessary measures for the safety of our ships and crew members within the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry added.
Twenty-six South Korea-related vessels have been stranded at the strait since the war in the Middle East began.
Meloni warns Europe must “strengthen our security” after US' spat with Germany
Meanwhile, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has warned that Europe must increase its “response capacity,” after the White House threatened to slash US military presence in the country.
Meloni insisted the continent “must strengthen our security” at an EU leaders’ summit in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, after US President Donald Trump claimed he would cut troop levels in Italy and Spain.
“I can’t tell you what will happen. The US has been discussing its disengagement in Europe for some time, which is why I think we must strengthen our security and increase our response capacity,” Meloni told reporters when asked about Trump’s remarks.
“It’s a choice that’s not up to me, and one that I personally wouldn’t agree with,” she added.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump declared the military would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, after the country’s Chancellor Friederich Merz condemned Washington’s approach to negotiations with Iran. It was the latest sign of crumbling relations between the White House and members of NATO through Trump’s second term in office.
The president has repeatedly claimed that US forces are disproportionately carrying Western security responsibilities against the backdrop of Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine, later accusing Italy and Spain for not aiding the US-Israeli campaign on Iran late February.
Several European ministers, including Meloni, have refused to participate in the offensive, slamming the campaign as illegal or outside the realm of international law. On Monday, Meloni insisted that Italy “has always kept its commitments.”
“I don’t consider some of the things said about us to be correct,” she said.
Meloni will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Italian capital, Rome on Friday, according to her public calendar.
$5 gas could become a reality if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t reopen soon
The once-unthinkable closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lift gasoline prices to $5 a gallon if the situation is not resolved soon.
US gas prices have skyrocketed from an average of $2.98 a gallon before the war started to $4.46 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA.
Oil futures climbed again on Monday even after President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom, a plan to “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
That’s a sign that the oil market is not viewing this new effort as a gamechanger.
If the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen in the next month, US gas could hit $5 a gallon, Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, told CNN. That would rival the all-time high of $5.02 a gallon in June 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Diesel, a fuel that’s arguably even more critical to the economy, is already at all-time highs in some places.
The average price of diesel climbed to a record on Monday in Wisconsin ($5.67 a gallon), Illinois ($6.00) and Michigan ($6.01), according to AAA. That’s bad news for truckers, railroads, farmers and virtually all consumers who could face higher costs.
Nationally, diesel is selling for an average of $5.64 a gallon — up from just $3.76 before the war started.
UAE issues emergency missile alert for the first time since start of US-Iran ceasefire
The United Arab Emirates on Monday sent out an alert for potential missile threats throughout the country, the first in just under a month when the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.
The alert was issued in multiple emirates, including Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. An all-clear alert was issued shortly afterward.
Earlier on Monday, the UAE condemned what it said was an “Iranian terrorist attack” that targeted a tanker belonging to the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said ADNOC’s tanker was targeted by two Iranian drones as it was passing through the strait but that no injuries were recorded.
CLARIFICATION: This post has been updated to clarify that only one alert was sent in the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian navy says warning shots fired near US destroyers
The Iranian navy has said it fired warning shots near US navy destroyers operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
The navy “detected US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz and issued warnings, including firing warning shots, cautioning of the consequences of what it described as risky actions,” according to state broadcaster IRIB.
“After the US destroyers reportedly ignored initial warnings, Iranian forces issued a second, more direct warning, stating that any attempt to enter the strait would be considered a breach of the ceasefire and would prompt a response,” IRIB reported.
“Iranian naval forces fired additional warning shots—including cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones—near the vessels,” the navy statement added.
CNN is reaching out to the US military for comment on the Iranian claim.
US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Persian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command, and “American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping,” it said in a post on X.
What's happened since Trump announced plan to guide vessels through Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said yesterday the US would begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz today, in an effort he dubbed “Project Freedom.”
Here’s what has happened since:
- Timing: A short while ago, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that two US-flagged vessels had transited the Strait of Hormuz as part of the mission. Trump said that the guiding efforts would begin at “Monday morning, Middle East time.” Though there is no one time zone in the Middle East, it is now mid-afternoon in Iran.
- Military equipment: CENTCOM said after Trump’s initial post that the mission will include the use of guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 service members
- Iran’s reaction: A top Iranian military official warned that “any foreign military force, especially the invading American army … will be attacked” if they try to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz.
- Today’s activity: Iran’s navy said it prevented US ships from entering the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media. Meanwhile, CENTCOM denied that a US vessel was struck by Iranian missiles near the strait, after Iranian state media claimed that this took place.
CNN’s Isabelle D’Antonio, Natasha Bertrand, Laura Sharman, Tim Lister and Michael Williams contributed to this reporting.
Emirates airline says it's nearly back to normal despite Middle East tensions
Emirates says it has restored 96% of its global network after widespread disruption and mass cancellations across the Middle East during the US-Iran war.
Despite not reaching full normality, the Dubai-based airline said it carried around 4.7 million travelers during the conflict and is now operating across 72 countries.
At the height of the disruption, Iran strikes across the Middle East had left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded, with at least 82% of flights cancelled in Dubai International Airport — one of the world’s busiest flight hubs, connecting 291 destinations — during the first week of the war.
UAE accuses Iran of attacking state-affiliated tanker in Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates condemned on Monday what it said was an “Iranian terrorist attack” that targeted a tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE ministry of Foreign Affairs said ADNOC’s tanker was targeted by two Iranian drones as it was passing through the strait but that no injuries were recorded.
The ministry added that targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz “as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, said in a post on X: “These attacks confirm that the Iranian threat to the security and stability of the region is ongoing and cannot be ignored.”
Iran is yet to officially comment on the reported incident, but the state-affiliated news agency Tasnim said that the UAE “has effectively become a pawn of Israel and is paying huge costs instead of the regime.”
Abu Dhabi’s statement comes amid heightened tensions in the key waterway. Iran’s navy says it prevented US ships entering the Strait of Hormuz, which the US military has denied.
This post has been updated with additional developments.
"There is no ceasefire in Lebanon," Hezbollah chief says
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon, but rather ongoing Israeli American aggression,” as the Iran-backed group trades fire with Israeli forces despite the shaky ceasefire.
“There is no such thing as a yellow line or buffer zone, and there will not be,” Qassem said in a statement, adding that the group “will inevitably succeed.”
The Hezbollah leader’s statement comes amid a fresh evacuation order Monday by the Israeli military of four villages in southern Lebanon, saying it is “in light of Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
At least one person was killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on Arab Salim, in the Nabatieh District, southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, where the Israeli military had issued evacuation warnings. Three others were wounded, including one child, NNA said, citing the ministry of health.
Separately, five people were injured in Israeli strikes on the southern town of Srifa in Tyre District, NNA reported, adding that these included four paramedics.
Israeli strikes have so far killed 2,679 people, the health ministry said Sunday, with 8,229 others injured.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that it has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas across southern Lebanon, saying that it had been conducting operations against “armed Hezbollah terrorists who were operating in close proximity to the troops.”
Hezbollah has also been ramping up its attacks on Israeli forces, claiming 11 attacks on Sunday – the highest number of retaliatory strikes since the ceasefire began, according to a CNN tally.
Sarah Tamimi contributed reporting.
Oil prices climb on fears of US-Iran confrontations in Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices are moving higher on renewed concerns about the safety of transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s navy claimed it had prevented two US ships from entering the waterway.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is up 3.8% to $112.3 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, is up a similar margin to $105.6 a barrel. (For context, oil is traded as a futures contract, which means an agreement to buy or sell at a specified price on a future date. Monday’s WTI price reflects oil for delivery in June, whereas Brent reflects oil for delivery in July.)
Oil prices dipped briefly earlier on Monday, after the White House announced a plan to guide boats out of the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said it would “support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor.”
However, skepticism remains about whether a US naval escort will be sufficient to get oil tankers transiting the strait in large numbers. At least for now, crude oil prices reflect “not just disruption, but the risk that disruption lingers,” according to Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. “Washington and Tehran are locked in a stare-down that feels less like diplomacy and more like two central banks daring each other to flinch,” he wrote in a note Monday.
Meanwhile, US stock futures point to a modestly weaker open, with major stock indexes also lower in Paris and Frankfurt. In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi closed 5% higher Monday on a rally in semiconductor companies. Stock markets in Japan, China and the United Kingdom are closed today for public holidays.
US military denies claim that Iran struck US naval vessel
US Central Command has denied claims from Iranian state media that a US vessel was struck by Iranian missiles near the Strait of Hormuz.
“No U.S. Navy ships have been struck,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
State news agency IRNA had reported, citing a military statement, that “following a firm and rapid warning by its navy, the entry of what it described as U.S. and Israeli enemy destroyers into the Strait of Hormuz was prevented.”
Iran says it has prevented US entry into Strait of Hormuz, state media reports. Catch up here
Iranian state media recently reported that Iran’s navy has prevented the entry of “enemy destroyers” into the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump announced the US military would begin protecting shipping trying to leave the Gulf.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else we’ve been reporting on today:
- The Strait of Hormuz has remained almost empty so far today, despite Trump’s announcement about the US guiding stranded vessels.
- Oil prices fell in early trade after the Trump announced the plan to guide boats out of the Strait of Hormuz, but then steadied as traders took a wait-and-see approach to whether the plan would work.
- Crew members from an Iranian ship seized by the US last month have been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation, according to Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
- The Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is in critical condition after being transferred to hospital from prison last week, with her family saying the Iranian regime has so far not allowed her to be treated at a specialist care centre.
CNN’s Tim Lister, Aida Karimi, Sana Noor Haq, Sophia Saifi, Laura Sharman and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this reporting.
Kuwaiti crude oil exports fell to zero in April, with Hormuz effectively shut
Kuwaiti crude oil exports tumbled from more than one million barrels a day to zero in April, according to Iranian media, marking the “first such disruption” since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.
The Gulf nation pumped oil throughout the month, but authorities moved some of the production to storage and allocated a portion to refined products, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported Monday, citing data shared by the oil tracking platform TankerTracker.
Shipments of refined fuels “continued in limited volumes even as crude oil shipments dropped to zero,” ISNA said, highlighting a “sharp break from its usual export flow of more than one million barrels per day.”
Just on Sunday, several regional nations including Kuwait announced a boost to oil production targets despite the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The oil cartel OPEC said Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman would raise output by an extra 188,000 barrels a day. The announcement came days after the UAE announced plans to leave the group in a blow to members.
Last month, oil output from the Middle East took a nosedive as parallel blockades imposed by the US and Iran on non-allied vessels in the Strait of Hormuz stemmed exports.
Iran claims to have prevented US ships from entering Hormuz
Iran’s navy has prevented the entry of “enemy destroyers” into the Strait of Hormuz, the state news agency IRNA claimed Monday.
Citing a military statement, IRNA reported that “following a firm and rapid warning by its navy, the entry of what it described as U.S. and Israeli enemy destroyers into the Strait of Hormuz was prevented.”
CNN has reached out to US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the White House for a response to the claim.
CENTCOM has said its forces will begin restoring freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
Nearly a month since the ceasefire began, here's how US-Iran talks have developed
It is coming up to one month since the US and Iran first agreed to a ceasefire.
Here’s a look at what has happened with talks between Tehran and Washington since then:
- April 7: Trump warns that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not agree to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Hours later, a two-week ceasefire is announced.
- April 11: US and Iranian officials meet for face-to-face talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, lasting 21 hours.
- April 12: US Vice President JD Vance announces the sides have “not reached an agreement,” largely because of Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. The leader of the Iranian negotiators, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the US failed to gain the trust of the Iranian side. Later in the day, Trump says the ceasefire is still “holding well.”
- April 13: The US implements a blockade of Iranian ports, as a US official says the US and Iran are still engaged in talks. Trump says that if a deal is not reached by the end of the ceasefire, “it won’t be pleasant” for Iran.
- April 17: After Iran says it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz in response to a separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Trump says the US’ blockade of Iranian ports will continue until a final deal to end the war is agreed. Iran says it will close the strait again if the blockade continues.
- April 18: Iran says it is once again shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the US for “breaches of trust.” Trump says that negotiations are still ongoing but shows frustration, saying Iran “got a little cute” when closing the strait again. Ghalibaf says the US and Iran are “still far from a final agreement” in an interview with state television.
- April 19: Trump says US representatives will be traveling to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations with Iran. Iranian sources familiar with the negotiations tell CNN that a delegation representing Tehran will also be traveling to Pakistan for talks, though Iranian state media reports that Iran’s presence in Islamabad is not confirmed.
- April 20: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says “as of now,” Iran has “no plans for the next round of negotiations.” Trump says it’s “highly unlikely” he will extend the ceasefire, which he says will expire in two days.
- April 21: Trump says he expects to continue bombing Iran if a deal to extend the ceasefire is not reached by the next day. Pakistan’s information minister says he is still trying to convince Iran to participate in talks. In the afternoon, Trump says he will extend the ceasefire until Iran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently.
- April 24: Sources tell CNN that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad in the evening. Trump administration officials also tell CNN that Trump is planning to send a US delegation to Pakistan for talks with Araghchi, but Baghaei says “no meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US.”
- April 25: Araghchi meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, then leaves the country in the evening. Trump says he has canceled the US delegation’s scheduled trip to Pakistan, due to “infighting” among Iran’s leadership.
- April 27: Iran’s state media Fars reports that Araghchi gave a list of Iran’s “red lines” to be conveyed to the US during his trip to Pakistan. A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that Iran has put forward a new proposal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz but leaves the state of talks on key US demands unclear. Sources tell CNN that Trump signaled he is not likely to accept the new proposal.
- April 29: Trump says that he has rejected Iran’s proposal of lifting the US blockade and opening the Strait of Hormuz, saying he first wants some guarantees on curbing the Iranian nuclear program. He also says that negotiations to end the war with Iran are happening “telephonically.”
- May 1: Sources familiar with the negotiation process tell CNN that Iran has sent a proposal to Pakistani mediators, which Trump says he is “not satisfied” with. The US leader says his options are to try and make a deal with Iran or “go and just blast the hell out of them.”
- May 2: A senior Iranian military official says renewed conflict with the US is “possible” after Trump rejected Iran’s proposal. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that Tehran has submitted a 14-point response to a US proposal, as Trump says he will soon review a new plan from Iran. He adds that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.”
- May 3: Baghaei says the US has responded to Iran’s proposal and that Tehran is reviewing Washington’s reply, as US special envoy Steve Witkoff tells CNN that his country is “in conversation” with Iran. Trump announces that the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz the next day and says his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Kit Maher, Sophia Saifi, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Sophie Tanno, Kevin Liptak, Tim Lister, Aida Karimi, Riane Lumer, Alayna Treene, Elise Hammond, Nadeen Ebrahim, Adam Pourahmadi, Donald Judd, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mitchell McCluskey, Betsy Klein, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nic Robertson, Max Saltman, Lex Harvey, Issy Ronald, Mostafa Salem, Mitchell McCluskey and Isabelle D’Antonio contributed to this reporting.
UN warns aid crisis worsens as Iran war doubles delivery costs, cutting relief to refugees
The Iran war is deepening the refugee crisis with less aid reaching Sudan and Lebanon while transportation costs surge, due to disruptions along the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson for the United Nations warned.
“The Middle East crisis and the disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are having devastating and far-reaching ripple effects on global supply chains, but also on aid delivery, which is getting slower and more expensive,” said Carlotta Wolf.
“Every dollar extra that we spend on transportation of aid is a dollar less that goes directly to the people forced to flee that the UN serves on the ground every day,” she told CNN’s Rosemary Church.
In Sudan, where there is an ongoing civil war displacing over 14 million people according to the UN, transportation costs “have doubled in price” while supplies being cut by a half, “going from 927,000 to over 1.87 million,” Wolf added.
Furthermore, the UN have only been able to support around 20% of the 1 million internally displaced in Lebanon, as Israeli strikes strain an already fragile ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“Even with the current ceasefire, some people are thinking about trying to return home, but many are returning to nothing. There is utter destruction and really, they need sustained support and humanitarian assistance to be able to survive and live with dignity,” Wolf said.
Hormuz empty of shipping as Iran and US compete for control
The Strait of Hormuz remained almost empty Monday, despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States military would begin protecting shipping trying to leave the Gulf.
Shipping data sites showed one sanctioned tanker – the Botswana-flagged Nooh Gas – transiting the Strait on Monday. No other tankers or cargo ships were shown moving through the Strait at 5 a.m. ET.
Iran has rejected Trump’s plan to guide ships through, warning that “any foreign military force, especially the invading American army” will be attacked if they try to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz.
Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, spokesman for the unified command of Iran’s armed forces, said Iran will protect the security of the strait “with full strength” after the US pledged to guide stranded ships through the oil shipping chokepoint.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the US was unable to get out of its “self-made quagmire.”
Baghaie added that Iran and Oman, whose coastline is on the southern side of the Strait, were continuing talks on the management of the waterway. The two countries have “a shared responsibility to maintain the safety of maritime traffic in this strategic waterway,” Baghaei said.
Oman has not commented.
At the same time, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) published a map declaring Iranian military control over a wide area either side of the chokepoint.
Family of Nobel laureate in critical condition says Tehran is refusing her necessary care
The Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi is in critical condition after being transferred to a hospital from prison last week, with her family saying the Iranian regime has so far not allowed her to be treated at a specialist care centre.
The Narges Foundation, run by Mohammadi’s family, said on Friday that she was transferred to a hospital in the Zanjan province after “a catastrophic deterioration in her health.” She remains at the cardiac care unit of that hospital, the family said.
Mohammadi’s family and supporters, as well as the Norwegian Nobel Committee, have urged Tehran to allow her to be cared for by specialists.
The family said her treatment at the hospital in Zanjan was focused on attempts to stabilize her heart rate and blood pressure through oxygen therapy.
“This does not constitute a comprehensive treatment process,” the foundation said in a statement over the weekend.
“Effective treatment for Narges Mohammadi’s conditions is only possible if she is transferred to her medical team in Tehran,” it said, adding that she needs proper assessment and a treatment plan based on her medical history.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, called on Iran to allow the treatment, saying in a statement that Mohammadi’s “life is now in the hands of the Iranian authorities.”
