Here's the latest
• Trump on talks: US President Donald Trump said no talks are underway or scheduled with Iran, just one day after saying his administration had established a back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran’s parliament speaker accused the US of trying to force more concessions from Tehran.
• Oil prices climb: Global oil prices today reached their highest levels since July, as hopes of a resolution fade.
• Strait of Hormuz: Trump posted an image showing the waterway as “New US Territory,” after Iran reiterated key demands for its reopening.
• Expanding conflict: The United Arab Emirates said it detected two ballistic missiles launched toward the country from Iran. Elsewhere, the US criticized Israeli strikes on a Syrian air base as an “unnecessary escalation,” and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis said they again targeted a Saudi oil refinery.
Shipping through Middle East chokepoints is still muted
Commercial vessel traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb channels remains depressed.
MarineTraffic data shows at least seven commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the last 24 hours. Five vessels moved into the Persian Gulf — four cargo ships and one tanker — while two exited into the Gulf of Oman, consisting of one cargo ship and one tanker.
Farther southwest, at least 40 commercial ships transited the Bab al-Mandeb Strait over the same period. Twenty-one vessels entered the Red Sea — 17 cargo ships and four tankers — while 19 left into the Gulf of Aden, comprising 11 cargo ships and eight tankers.
These numbers are consistent with figures recorded over recent months. For reference, an average of about 110 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz daily before the war.
GPS spoofing also remains a concern around both channels. This type of navigational interference makes ships’ broadcast positions show up in the wrong places. The disruption has continued for months, sometimes throwing vessels’ reported coordinates off by dozens of miles and making traffic through the waterways harder to monitor.
France to expel two Iranian diplomats after detention of French officials in Tehran
France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days following what Paris described as an attack on two French diplomats in Tehran last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Tuesday.
In a post on X, Barrot said the Iranian people were the primary victims of the current period of heightened tensions in the Middle East, citing both the “bloody repression” of protests in January 2026 and the ongoing military bombardments of the US-Iran war.
“It is precisely because France stands with the Iranian people, supporting its artists, scientists and researchers, that two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted last July 19th,” Barrot wrote.
“That has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” he said.
The dispute stems from an incident last month involving two staff members of the French Embassy in Tehran. At the time, Barrot said the two embassy employees were detained for several hours by Iranian security services in what he described as “an extremely serious act of intimidation” and a violation of their diplomatic immunity.
Over the weekend, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said the two French diplomats were briefly detained during a national security investigation into alleged foreign interference before being handed over to the French ambassador, according to state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Iran said Monday that two officials would not be allowed to return to Iran.
Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on France’s decision to expel the two Iranian diplomats.
Trump says no Iran talks are underway amid Strait of Hormuz tensions. Here’s the latest
President Donald Trump said today that there are no talks with Iran taking place or scheduled, contradicting his claims yesterday of administration officials back-channeling with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
Iran’s IRGC has denied that any back-channel talks with the US were taking place.
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest headlines:
- Air defense forces in the United Arab Emirates detected two ballistic missiles launched toward the country from Iran on Tuesday, the UAE Defense Ministry said.
- Trump posted an image on social media showing the Strait of Hormuz labeled as “New US Territory.” The US president’s Truth Social post came one day after he said declaring the strait a US territory was a “great idea.”
- Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued another list of demands today, saying the US needs to fulfill them before Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran could face gas supply shortages in several provinces this winter following damage to the country’s natural gas infrastructure during the conflict, a National Iranian Gas Company official warned, according to state-run media.
- A regional source told CNN that Iran and Oman are in talks and there is expectation that an agreement and a middle ground on the management of the Strait of Hormuz will be reached in the next couple of days. The source also said indirect talks are still ongoing between Iran and the US via Pakistan.
Elsewhere in the region:
- The US criticized Israeli strikes on Abu al-Duhur Air Base in Syria early Tuesday. The Trump administration’s Syria envoy Tom Barrack said the strikes “constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.” The Syrian Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes as “a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty.” Israel has not confirmed it carried out the strikes.
- At least six people were killed in an Israeli strike at a portside cafe in Gaza on Tuesday, according to Gaza health authorities, one day after US envoy Jared Kushner pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for restraint in the enclave. The Israel Defense Forces said it “struck several Hamas commanders” in the area.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt, Alejandra Jaramillo, Aida Karimi, Eyad Kourdi, Sophia Saifi, Tim Lister, Abeer Salman and Tal Shalev contributed to this post.
Iranian parliament speaker says US is "squeezing" Iran for concessions
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of trying to force more concessions from Iran.
The official also said that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are “way out of their league.”
“Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made,” Ghalibaf said.
Last week, Bessent said the US would apply measures to Iran that have “never been seen.” US President Donald Trump has also indicated that he plans to apply more economic pressure on Tehran.
UAE says it is ready to confront threats after Iranian missile launch
Air defense forces in the United Arab Emirates detected two ballistic missiles launched toward the country from Iran on Tuesday, with one falling outside UAE territorial waters and the second landing within its territorial waters, the UAE Defense Ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said the country’s armed forces were fully prepared to respond to any threats and would “resolutely confront anything that targets the destabilization of the state’s security.”
The statement did not mention casualties, damage or interception efforts.
“The Ministry of Defense confirms that it is fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats,” the statement said, adding that the UAE would continue to protect its sovereignty, security, stability and national interests.
Earlier Tuesday, the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on X that air defense forces had detected a “missile threat” targeting the country and urged residents to “remain in a safe place and follow warnings and updates from official sources.”
Qatar backs Oman-Iran talks despite Trump's threat over Hormuz dispute
Qatar voiced support Tuesday for ongoing efforts between Oman and Iran to reach an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump’s threat to attack Oman if it interferes with US operations in the strategic waterway.
Majed al-Ansari, a Foreign Ministry spokesman and adviser to Qatar’s prime minister, said Doha hopes that an agreement between Muscat and Tehran would help create the conditions for renewed diplomacy amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
“A ceasefire, guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and a return to the negotiating table represent the only way forward,” al-Ansari said during the Foreign Ministry’s weekly press briefing.
He said Qatar remains focused on containing the crisis and returning the parties to negotiations, citing developments in the Strait of Hormuz and what he described as a violation of a previous ceasefire.
Trump on Monday threatened military action against Oman if it obstructed US efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst.
Al-Ansari said there were no new developments in talks between Oman and Iran. But diplomatic efforts are still underway to reach an arrangement that could pave the way for renewed negotiations and help prevent further escalation in the region, he said.
Iran warns of winter gas shortages after war damage to energy infrastructure
Iran could face gas supply shortages in several provinces this winter following damage to the country’s natural gas infrastructure during the US-Iran war.
Houshang Seydali, director of gas distribution coordination at the National Iranian Gas Company, warned that “without strong, coherent and coordinated plans, several provinces could experience gas-supply problems,” according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
He said three northern provinces, North Khorasan, Mazandaran and Golestan, “could face more difficult conditions,” while restrictions could be imposed on eight other provinces depending on pressure levels and conditions across the gas network.
Seydali urged households and industry to conserve energy, saying gas demand management would be critical during the winter months, IRNA reported.
He also warned that electricity generation could be affected because “a significant portion of Iran’s electricity generation depends on natural gas.”
“Industry, households and National Iranian Gas Company employees will all need to contribute,” Seydali said. Reducing consumption during periods of extreme cold would help maintain supplies for both homes and industry, he added.
IRNA noted that attacks on Iran’s gas infrastructure during the ongoing US-Iran war have reduced the country’s gas production capacity.
The Strait of Hormuz was pivotal in the breakdown of the last US-Iran agreement
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf today reiterated his country’s key demands of the US for reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz, including the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and the US ending its military threats.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of frequent clashes between Tehran and Washington since the start of the war in late February.
In June, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in which they agreed to pause fighting while they negotiated a lasting end to the conflict. But this broke down following a series of disputes related to the waterway.
Here’s a look back at how fighting resumed last month:
- July 1: US and Iranian negotiators traveled to Doha, Qatar, for indirect negotiations. The delegations made “positive progress,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said.
- July 7: Iran fired on three commercial vessels in Oman’s territorial waters near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official. US Central Command said it launched strikes against Iran as “punishment.”
- July 8: Iran warned it would deliver a “crushing response” to the US strikes, and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched attacks at 85 US military targets across Bahrain and Kuwait. US President Donald Trump castigated Iran’s leaders as “evil, sick people” at the NATO summit in Turkey, saying the memorandum of understanding was “over.” Hours later, the US launched more strikes against Iran.
- July 9: Tehran said the US military struck a railway bridge in northern Iran. CENTCOM said the US hit around 90 military targets in another round of strikes. A US official told CNN that both countries were continuing to engage in technical negotiations on nuclear issues.
- July 10: Trump said the US had agreed to continue talks with Iran, but also that Washington had informed Tehran the ceasefire was no longer in effect. Ghalibaf said Tehran was prepared for “all-out defense” if the US broke the agreement. The Trump administration imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran.
- July 11: Iran’s foreign minister accused the US of violating a clause on Tehran’s nuclear program in their agreement.
- July 12: The IRGC announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing a warning shot at a vessel attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway. The US military launched more strikes on Iran and insisted that the strait was still open.
- July 13: US attacks across Iran continued into the afternoon, killing at least two people, Iranian media reported. Trump said he would reinstate a blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US carried out more strikes on Iran overnight.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Hira Humayan, Pamela Brown, Lex Harvey, Zachery Cohen, Jessie Yeung, Kevin Liptak, David Winkie, Isaac Yee, Clay Voytek, Betsy Klein, Aida Karimi, Lauren Kent, Jennifer Hansler, Rhea Mogul, Dalia Abdelwahab, Aleena Fayaz, Izzy Lippolis, Aileen Graef and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this post.
Trump's threat to bomb Oman "not a credible" one, says expert
President Donald Trump’s suggestion he will bomb Oman if it impedes US efforts in the Strait of Hormuz is “not a credible threat in any sense,” according to Jasmine el-Gamal, former Middle East adviser at the US Department of Defense.
Speaking to CNN’s “Connect the World” on the possible reasons for Trump’s warning, el-Gamal told Christina Macfarlane the conflict has been going on close to “six months now with no seeming end in sight and so, understandably, the president is frustrated.”
Citing the president’s previous comments on erasing civilization in Iran and earlier attempts to caution Oman, she added: “He’s prone to these kinds of bombastic statements when he’s feeling frustrated.”
His comments come after a 60-day deadline for US-Iran talks expired Monday, ending the window for the two countries to negotiate the terms of a final deal to end the war and settle issues such as Tehran’s nuclear program.
Trump says no talks occurring with Iran, contradicting earlier claims of back-channeling
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that there are no talks underway or scheduled with Iran, one day after saying his administration had established a back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military arm that reports to the country’s supreme leader.
Just one day prior, Trump said his administration had established a back channel with the IRGC. “They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump told Fox News. “I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.”
Iran’s IRGC denied that any back-channel talks with the United States were taking place.
Trump’s Tuesday comments also sharply differ from an assessment offered by special envoy Jared Kushner to Fox News on Monday.
“I will say that the conversations between the US Government and different areas of the Iranian government at all areas is probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been,” he said, adding that the Trump administration is “having very positive and active conversations.”
Last week, the president said US forces had completed mine-sweeping operations to clear naval mines from the waterway, a claim he reiterated Tuesday. He’s also repeatedly claimed that the strait is open, despite lagging shipping traffic and Iran asserting otherwise.
A closer look at Iran's parliament speaker and key negotiator with the US
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has been a key negotiator with the US during the conflict.
As we reported earlier, he is also set to lead a “high level parliamentary delegation” to Iraq tomorrow, according to Iranian state media.
There, officials from both countries will discuss “strengthening bilateral relations, border security, counterterrorism efforts, expanding economic cooperation, and advancing the implementation of agreements between the two countries,” Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Ghalibaf also issued a list of demands today that he said the US needed to meet before Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
The demands include the US lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and ending military threats, both of which were part of the Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon by Tehran and Washington back in June.
Who is he? Ghalibaf, who has led Iran in negotiations with the US, is a regime insider with a reputation for suppressing dissent.
As a teenager, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, and later commanded the IRGC’s air force.
Ghalibaf was involved in crushing pro-reform student protests in 1999. He oversaw the suppression of further student demonstrations in 2003 as police chief and held a senior security role during the widespread protests that followed Iran’s disputed 2009 election.
He was also the mayor of Tehran for 12 years, during which he modernized the capital’s infrastructure and oversaw ambitious housing programs as well as the creation of green spaces.
How experts view Trump's stated plan to make the Strait of Hormuz a "US territory"
US President Donald Trump posted an image on social media today showing the Strait of Hormuz labeled as “New US Territory.”
This comes after Trump said Friday that he plans to declare the strait a US territory after “we finish defeating Iran.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed the US “owns” the Strait of Hormuz, parts of which are in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. However, maritime law experts point out claiming a territory is not this simple.
“Under US law, claiming territory by a presidential declaration (or) decree is not enough. There are important constitutional requirements that must be cleared first,” said Jason Chuah, professor of maritime law at City St. George’s, University of London, and a distinguished fellow at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia.
While the occupation of a territory might give the occupying state control over the area, he said, “on its own, it does not convey legal title.”
Simon Baughen, professor of shipping law at Swansea University, said the path toward claiming Hormuz as a US territory was unlikely to come to fruition.
A more likely outcome, Baughen suggested, could be that the US, Iran and Oman agree to open the Strait of Hormuz and charge tolls to vessels passing through the waterway.
But, he said: “That is also illegal under customary international law and also the provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) Treaty.”
Neither Iran nor Oman has absolute rights over the Strait of Hormuz, Chuah pointed out. “Freedom of navigation prevails. That is the law,” he said.
“A navy can control a waterway. It cannot, merely by controlling it, rewrite the law of title,” Chuah added.
US slams Israeli airstrikes on Syria
The United States has criticized Israeli strikes on a Syrian airbase early on Tuesday.
“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” said the Trump administration envoy on Syria, Tom Barrack.
He added that Washington was encouraging all parties to prioritize “logical discourse” over further military incidents.
Israel has not confirmed it carried out the strikes on the air base, which is near Idlib in north-western Syria and has few serviceable aircraft.
Barrack said on X that the government in Damascus had neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. “It has, in fact, repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel.”
The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the strikes as “an unjustified aggression, a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region.”
It said Israel was seeking to “drag the region toward further tension and instability.”
Barrack has mediated direct talks between Syria and Israel in an effort to make sure that an uneasy truce is sustained, especially in southern Syria where Israeli forces continue to occupy strategic heights on Syrian soil.
The two sides have yet to reach agreement on a more lasting peace settlement.
US President Donald Trump has praised Syia’s leader Ahmad al Sharaa, who led an uprising that ousted long-time president Bashar al Assad 18m months ago.
Trump posts image of Strait of Hormuz as “new US territory”
US President Donald Trump posted an image on social media Tuesday showing the Strait of Hormuz labeled as “New US Territory.”
The picture of a map includes a circle around the strategic waterway, which is located between Iran and Oman at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, with the words “New US Territory” displayed over the area.
The president’s Truth Social post came one day after he said declaring the strait a US territory was a “great idea.”
“I mean we control it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked what he meant last week when he said he would soon declare the strait to be US territory.
“We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory,” the president added.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a key bargaining chip in the war with Iran. The strategically vital strait has been effectively closed by Iran since fighting began in late February, disrupting a major route for global oil shipments.
Experts have said neither side has full control of the waterway.
What Iran and the US previously agreed to in the memorandum of understanding
Iran’s parliament speaker and key negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued a list of demands today in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
He also called on the US to implement the “other terms” Washington committed to as part of the memorandum of understanding, which expired yesterday.
Here’s a look at what Iran and the US previously agreed to:
Military operations
- Washington and Tehran agreed on the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
- They said they would not “initiate any war or any military operation against each other,” or threaten or use any force against each other.
- The parties agreed to “respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.”
Strait of Hormuz
- The US agreed to end its naval blockade of Iranian ports within 30 days of signing the agreement.
- In exchange, Iran would make “its best efforts” to “ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge” through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.
Economy
- The US agreed to work with partners to develop a plan “for the reconstruction and economic development” of Iran, including a fund of least $300 billion.
- It would also make efforts to eliminate “all types of sanctions” against Iran, including those implemented by the United Nations.
- Until those sanctions were terminated, the US agreed to issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives.
- The US also agreed to unfreeze Iranian funds and assets that had previously been frozen.
Nuclear
- Iran agreed that it “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.”
- Washington and Tehran “also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment” related to Iran’s “nuclear needs.”
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak and Mostafa Salem contributed to this reporting.
Oil prices rise as Iran issues demands to reopen Strait of Hormuz. Catch up
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued another list of demands today, saying the US needs to fulfill them before Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Here’s what else is going on in the Middle East today:
- Oil prices climbed to the highest level since July today, as traders’ hopes of a swift resolution to the US-Iran conflict fade. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, were up 0.1% to $91 a barrel early this morning ET.
- Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have said they targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery, a major crude oil refinery located on the Red Sea coast in southwestern Saudi Arabia. CNN cannot independently verify the claim, and there has been no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.
- The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report that a vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, causing one casualty on board. Further details on the casualty have not yet been given.
- Separately, Ghalibaf will lead a “high level parliamentary delegation” to Iraq tomorrow, according to Iranian state media. Officials will discuss strengthening Iran-Iraq relations, border security, economic cooperation and counterterrorism, among other topics, the broadcaster IRIB reported.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Aida Karimi, Anna Cooban, Helen Regan and Lucas Lilieholm contributed to this reporting.
Iran issues demands in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz. Here's why it's so vital
Iran’s parliament speaker has today issued a list of demands that the US needs to fulfill before Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, including lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and ending “all military threats and operations.”
The Strait of Hormuz has been a crucial bargaining chip throughout the US-Israeli war with Iran. It’s been effectively closed by Iran since the fighting began in late February.
The waterway, passing between Iran and Oman, serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, used to flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” According to the EIA, “very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed.”
The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas.
Energy analysts have warned that oil and natural gas prices are likely to remain elevated until the strait is passable, even as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seek to expand other routes to get their crude to market.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell and Aida Karimi contributed to this reporting.
Global oil prices are back above $90 a barrel — the highest since July
Oil prices and government borrowing costs climbed higher on Tuesday as traders’ hopes of a swift resolution to the US-Iran conflict fade.
Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, was up 0.1% to $91 a barrel early morning ET – its highest level since late July. WTI futures, the US benchmark, rose 0.7% to $85.
Washington and Tehran agreed in June to a 60-day ceasefire, allowing time to negotiate a more durable peace deal while active fighting subsided and the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened.
But that agreement, which had already effectively collapsed, officially expired on Monday with no sign of a breakthrough and as tensions have escalated. On Monday, President Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a US ally, if it interfered with US efforts in the strait – sparking further concern among traders that a peace deal may still be far off.
US government bond yields – essentially, the interest the government must pay to borrow money from investors – were rising Tuesday as traders anticipate that a prolonged US-Iran conflict will keep energy prices high, in turn, boosting the odds that central banks will raise interest rates to keep inflation in check. Other factors, including enormous public debt piles, are also contributing to elevated yields.
The yield on the US 30-year Treasury bond rose to an intraday high of 5.33% on Tuesday, its highest level in nearly two decades, according to Reuters. The yield on the German government’s 10-year bond hit a 15-year high, the publication said.
Deutsche Bank analysts said on Tuesday that 30-year government bond yields had “hit multi-year highs across several countries, (showing) how the fiscal pressures on governments aren’t going away.”
Iran lists key demands for Strait of Hormuz reopening
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a list of demands today it said the US needed to meet before the Strait of Hormuz reopens, such as lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and ending military threats.
Traffic through the critical waterway, through which one-fifth of global crude oil typically flows, has been greatly reduced since the start of the war. Mirroring previous demands made by Tehran, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) cited Ghalibaf’s conditions as:
- Lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports
- Releasing Iran’s frozen assets
- Lifting Iranian oil sanctions
- Ending all military threats and operations
Earlier today, a vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the strait, causing one casualty onboard, according to a report made to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The Iranian official also called on the US to implement the “other terms” Washington committed to as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached between the two nations in June.
That agreement was aimed at stopping hostilities and paving the way for a “final deal” to end the war within 60 days – a deadline which expired yesterday – and settle complicated issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.
Yemen’s Houthi group claims drone attack on Saudi oil refinery
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis said Tuesday it had targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery, a major crude oil refinery located on the Red Sea coast in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency said the drone attack was “in response to the violation of Yemeni airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates,” citing an unnamed “military source.”
CNN cannot independently verify the militant group’s claim, and there has been no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.
This is not the first time the group has claimed an attack on the Jazan refinery. Earlier this month, the Houthis said they had targeted the site after Saudi authorities said a fire had broken out at a facility belonging to the refinery.
Clashes have intensified near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key maritime chokepoint, in recent weeks after the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is the main backer of Yemeni government forces.
On Monday, the Houthi group said it had attacked what it described as a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles, following a weekend of escalation in the region.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem contributed reporting.
