• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tells media outlets on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Iran wants the US to return to the MoU by early November, saying: “We wish Americans to return to the MoU before the midterms.”
• A coalition of 80 countries at the UNGA demands that the Strait of Hormuz reopen urgently, condemning Iran and its Houthi allies for regional attacks and disruptions to trade and energy security.

Third day of UNGA Summit

UK warns Iran against hostile activity on British soil during UN meeting

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the UK’s “unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups on UK soil, including attacks on the British Jewish community”.

The Foreign Office said in a statement to Sky News that Miliband told Araghchi that “Iran should choose de-escalation and diplomacy instead of prolonging the war”.

Miliband also “underlined the importance of restoring freedom of navigation and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the impact continued disruption has on global security and economic stability”, according to the Sky News report.

Iranian president tells US media Tehran still seeks agreement despite ‘assassinations’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told US media that Tehran remains willing to pursue an agreement with Washington through negotiations, even after what he described as the “assassination” of Iran’s supreme leader, scientists and military commanders.

Pezeshkian said in an interview with Fox News that “what is discussed and negotiated is within the framework of international law, and what would be rightfully ours under international law”. He added that “we never sought anything more” and that “based on that foundation, we’re seeking an agreement if the counterpart agrees to it”.

The Iranian president noted that “we have no problems” and that “we did reach an agreement with your president”, referring to Donald Trump. He explained that the “agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward”.

Furthermore, Pezeshkian maintained that “the framework was agreed upon” and that “we had not closed the Strait of Hormuz; it was open, without any legal justification or framework”.

Criticizing military actions against his country, he said: “They attacked us. They assassinated and martyred our esteemed supreme leader, our scientists, our military commanders and government.”

Lavrov and Araghchi discuss regional issues in New York talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and discussed current regional and international issues, focusing on development surrounding Iran, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said that the meeting took place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The pair also discussed the implementation of bilateral agreements reached between the two countries’ presidents earlier this month.

The two sides stressed that “there is no alternative to the diplomatic settlement of the crisis provoked by the unlawful actions of the US and Israel”, according to the statement.

US envoy criticizes diplomats over walkout during Israeli PM’s address

US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has criticized diplomats who left the UN General Assembly hall during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.

In a post on X, he wrote: “Terrible to see all these ambassadors to the UN walk out on Israel.”

He added: “Not nearly as many walked out on Iran yesterday – even after they machine gunned 40,000 of their own people.”

Dozens of diplomats walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium.

Waltz previously pushed to shield Israel from international scrutiny, advocated for unconditional weapon deliveries, and dismissed human rights oversight as measures meant to undermine an ally.

Australian PM calls for stronger international action on Palestine and Iran at UN

Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would continue to oppose illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank while rejecting any future role for Hamas in Palestine.

“We will continue to speak out against actions that damage the prospect of peace, including illegal settlements in the West Bank,” he said, adding that Canberra would also “continue to oppose any role for the terrorists of Hamas in Palestine’s future”.

Turning to Iran, Albanese said the conflict had taken “a severe toll on the Middle East” and caused a “devastating impact on the global economy”.

Australia, he said, was calling for a ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the restoration of freedom of navigation and trade. He also urged Iran to halt “indiscriminate attacks” across the region and abandon any efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

Qatar’s PM and Iran’s president discuss de-escalation efforts

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has hosted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at his residence in New York for discussions on the US-Israel war on Iran.

They discussed “the latest developments in the region, along with efforts to de-escalate tensions and create a conducive environment for dialogue, thereby contributing to the enhancement of regional security and stability,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement shared on social media.

Araghchi and Russian FM discussed latest developments between Iran and Oman on shipping lanes

Yesterday, there was a meeting  between Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

They “exchanged views on developments in West Asia following the US’s repeated reneging on commitments and its violation of the terms of the Islamabad understanding,” reported Iran’s ISNA news agency, citing Araghchi.

He informed Lavrov of the latest developments regarding an arrangement between Iran and Oman on shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and the status of ongoing mediation efforts, blaming the US for the “current insecurity” in the critical waterway.

Araghchi added that Iran remains “determined to defend its national interests and security and to prevent the US from exploiting the Strait of Hormuz to threaten Iran’s national security”.

Lavrov reminded Araghchi that Russia had condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February that started the war and “emphasized the importance of all nations adhering to international law and the principles of the UN Charter”.

Iraqi PM tells UN Iraq is working to ‘diversify supply routes’ amid Gulf crisis

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said Iraq is working to develop new energy lines and corridors with regional countries to diversify supply routes amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, al-Zaidi expressed concern about the state of transport and maritime navigation due to the conflict in the Gulf, and said Iraq was trying to “contain the subsequent risks”.

“We are working to diversify our oil export ports and develop energy lines and corridors linking Iraq, Turkiye, Jordan and Syria in order to reach global markets with the aim of contributing to energy security and diversifying supply routes,” he said.

Lebanon stands with Gulf countries in face of Iranian attacks: Lebanon’s PM

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said Lebanon stands with Gulf countries facing Iranian attacks, which have hurt regional security and global markets.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Salam said Lebanon renews its “solidarity with the states of the Arab Gulf and Jordan in the face of Iranian attacks that threaten regional security and the freedom and safety of maritime navigation.”

“The effects of these attacks are not confined to theatres of confrontation,” he added. “They extend to supply chains, to the prices of goods, particularly food and energy, and to inflation rates.”

Lebanon’s Salam stresses need to avert potential ‘vacuum’ after UNIFIL’s withdrawal

Continuing his remarks at the UNGA, Salam warned of the need to “avert the vacuum” potentially created by the future withdrawal of UNIFIL, whose mandate ends on December 31.

Salam thanked UNIFIL and all countries that contributed forces to the mission and said there is a need for another international force to follow it.

“Such a force should ensure the continuation of monitoring, reporting and liaison functions”, he said.

After UNIFIL’s mandate ends, it will begin to draw down and withdraw over the course of 2027.

Iran’s Araghchi meets Saudi FM: Iranian media

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Iranian broadcaster IRIB.

Footage shared by Iranian media showed the two officials shaking hands before sitting down for talks.

Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb ‘must remain open’: Pakistan’s PM

Continuing his remarks to the UNGA, Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif called the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait “arteries of the global economy” that should remain free and safe.

“They must remain open, connecting nations, not becoming chokepoints of confrontation,” said Sharif. “These waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war.”

Pakistani PM condemns Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia

Continuing his address to the UNGA, Pakistan’s PM Sharif said his country stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemns “deplorable attacks by the Houthis” against it.

Sharif singled out a Houthi attack Riyadh claims targeted the holy city of Mecca, saying it had “outraged Muslims across the globe”.

“No Muslim can ever dare to think of committing such a heinous crime,” said Sharif. “Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, as we always have throughout our history.”

The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca, calling it a “heinous lie”.

Pakistan’s Sharif condemns Israeli attacks in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria

After denouncing what he called Israel’s “genocidal agenda” in Palestine, Sharif also condemned “Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Syria”.

“This, too, must stop immediately,” he said.

Iraq calls for a ‘sovereign Palestinian state’ at UNGA

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi has called for a sovereign state of Palestine, telling the UN General Assembly there can be no stability in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestinian issue.

Iran’s Araghchi says US “chose aggression, threats, assassinations’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is speaking on the sidelines of the UNGA about the conflict with the US.

He said Iran has consistently shown its commitment to international law and diplomacy, even while facing US-Israeli attacks.

“The United States chose the opposite path: aggression, threats, assassinations, economic warfare and a blatant disregard for international law and the UN charter,” said Araghchi.

end of Third day of UNGA Summit

Oil prices fall slightly as markets weigh US-Iran truce hopes

Oil prices fell slightly as markets weigh the possibility of a truce between the US and Iran against the bombing of Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels after a week of price spikes.

Brent was down 74 cents, or 0.69 percent, to $105.85 a barrel as of 00:32 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 81 cents, or 0.86 percent, at $93.80 a barrel.

The sluggish opening was a contrast to a week of volatility when oil prices rose to a one-week high on Thursday. Both contracts rose as much as 5 percent. Brent settled up 3.4 percent and WTI was 2.7 percent higher.

Brent notched its highest close since September 15. It was the first rise in days for WTI, which was down 13 percent over the prior six sessions and is down 6.42 percent for the week, compared with Brent’s 2.09-percent rise.

Oil prices fall as Brent drops to $105 a barrel amid US-Iran truce talks

Oil prices fell on Friday as markets weighed the possibility of a truce between the US and Iran against concerns that escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could disrupt supply from the key Middle East producer.

Brent was down $1.47, or 1.4%, at $105.11 a barrel as of 05:41 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down $2, or 2.1%, at $92.61 a barrel.

The lower opening followed a volatile week of trading. US and Iranian negotiators in New York have explored a phased path out of conflict that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the discussions said this week.

On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said it remained up to the US to decide when the war would end.

US senator hits out at Republicans over Iran war votes

US Senator Bernie Sanders has called on Republicans to “represent their constituents” and oppose war with Iran, after the US Senate blocked a Democratic-led measure to curb President Trump’s authority to wage the conflict.

“The American people, overwhelmingly, want to end this horrific war in Iran. Pathetically, today, nearly every Republican voted with Trump to keep the war going,” Sanders wrote in a post on X.

“When will Republicans represent their constituents and have the courage to oppose their mentally unstable leader?” he wrote.

The Senate narrowly rejected a resolution demanding Trump end the war on Iran or seek congressional authorisation.

Thursday’s Senate vote was 50-49 against the resolution, largely along party lines, with four Republicans voting in favour of the bill.

UAE bars Iranian airlines as US sanctions squeeze Iran’s aviation sector

The United Arab Emirates has halted flights operated by Iranian airlines, joining several other countries in adopting United States sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran’s aviation sector.

On Thursday, a statement carried by the Emirati WAM news agency said the General Civil Aviation Authority announced the “suspension of all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE”.

It said the decision was “based on the US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines preventing them from using airports around the world”.

The UAE has joined Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan in restricting or suspending access for Iranian airlines amid the enforcement of new US sanctions.

Dubai, the UAE’s commercial hub, is a major destination for Iranian carriers, with multiple daily flights, a large Iranian community and close business links.

Iran says its military prowess has forced US to change its tactics

The Intelligence Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says Iran’s military prowess has forced the United States to change its tactics, including by dispersing its forces, moving equipment to more remote locations and becoming more reliant on covert, underground positioning.

In a statement, the IRGC said the “resistance and courage of the Iranian people” and Iran’s “intelligent use of geography” have made Washington’s traditional military deployment strategies increasingly costly and ineffective.

“The evacuation and deactivation of CENTCOM bases, the transfer of forces to Jordan with the assumption of a ‘secure rear’, the imposition of casualties, the withdrawal of intelligence and military equipment to more distant locations, and the move towards concealed and underground deployments” have inflicted significant costs on the US, the statement said.

The IRGC said these developments highlight the mounting challenges of sustaining a traditional, visible US military footprint near Iran.

Iran’s latest proposal demonstrates that ‘nothing has really changed’ diplomatically with US

Iran’s new proposal for the Strait of Hormuz suggests that diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran are not advancing significantly, says Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

“I think only a very small indication, because basically nothing has really changed,” Schayegh said.

Iran, for its part, “keeps insisting that it wants to keep the additional power it gained during the war and that the June memorandum still is basically key to the roadmap moving forward,” said the professor, while the US “keeps basically refusing to accept this roadmap debate”.

This proposal, which says the Strait of Hormuz will reopen in seven days, before presumably any Iranian assets have been returned or sanctions lifted, demonstrates that the Iranians have been willing to make a small concession, but it’s unclear whether this will be enough for the Americans.

The Gulf states are key to bringing the two sides together, said Schayegh, though they will need to “consolidate their position” with respect to both countries.

However, “I don’t think that, other than that, we will see movement any time soon, and definitely not before the midterms in the United States,” concluded Schayegh.

Speaker Ghalibaf says Iran taught ‘the enemy a valuable lesson’

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, says the country’s “enemies came at it with full force” during the war.

“But thanks to the blessings of the martyrs, our martyred Imam and the resolve and zeal of our armed forces and beloved people, we were able to teach the enemy a valuable lesson,” he said in remarks quoted by the Mehr news agency.

“We hope that, through the benevolent prayers of the martyrs’ noble families, the nation’s cohesion and unity will grow stronger day by day.”

“By the grace of God and under the leadership of the supreme leader, the nation will overcome the existing dangers and seditions.” he concluded.

Egypt, Iran foreign ministers discuss proposals for de-escalation

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says he has discussed with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi ways of finding a path back to negotiations to resolve conflicts in the region.

The foreign ministers discussed “proposals being put forward to reach an agreement that leads to containing tensions and de-escalation,” according to an Egyptian foreign ministry statement.

“Abdelatty also underscored the importance of respecting the security and stability of Gulf states and all nations in the region,” the statement added.

Iran’s proposal to reopen Hormuz in seven days

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran, through mediators, has presented the US with a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.

“If certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open on the end of the seventh day and [peace] talks would restart,” Araghchi told reporters in New York.

He did not give details but said the proposal resembles the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding signed by Iran and the US, which briefly eased the conflict before breaking down.

While the new proposal is based on the agreement, the Iranians are condensing the timeline and changing the sequence.

It would look something like this: fighting would stop on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the US would lift its naval blockade and oil sanctions, and release frozen Iranian assets. After seven days, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. After that, talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin.

Araghchi calls on Europe to correct its destructive and irresponsible approach towards Iran

This is about the comments from the UK yesterday on the talks between Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, following their meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York.

Today from the Iranian side, with a statement from Araghchi’s office stating that during the meeting the ministers discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.

Araghchi attributed the prevailing insecurity in the region and the Strait of Hormuz to “the military aggression” by the US and Israel, with “the support and complicity of certain European nations, which has inflicted immense damage on Iran, the region, and the world”, the statement said.

He added that establishing lasting stability and security in the region depends on ending the [Israeli] occupation and realizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination.

The top diplomat further noted that the UK government and certain other European states must be held accountable for the role they have played in “the formation and perpetuation of an occupying, terrorist regime in West Asia”.

Araghchi called for a correction of the “destructive and irresponsible” approaches adopted by some European governments regarding Iran and regional developments, emphasizing that insisting on interference in the internal affairs of nations and instrumental sing human rights concepts is entirely unacceptable, the statement said.

Araghchi proposed a roadmap to US to reopen Hormuz in seven days: Media outlets

Iran proposed to Washington a seven-day roadmap aimed at ending the war with the United States, according to reporters from several media outlets.

They were at a briefing by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on Thursday, where he outlined the details.

The proposal seeks to implement the conditions in the Memorandum of Understanding agreed by Washington and Tehran in June, including a halt to hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi stressed that Iran was ready to begin putting the plan into effect as soon as Washington agreed to it.

US, Israel ‘cannot whitewash criminal acts against Iran’, says Araghchi

Iran’s Araghchi said about the impact of US and Israeli attacks on his country, that the attacks have targeted numerous civilian sites, including schools, hospitals, sports facilities and transport infrastructure.

US-Israeli attacks have in total killed more than 5,000 people, including hundreds of women and children, he added.

“Yet from the podium of the General Assembly, the US president, along with the criminal prime minister of Israel, attempted to distort the facts and reverse the roles of victim and aggressor,” said Araghchi. “The United States and the Israeli regime cannot whitewash their criminal acts against the people of Iran.”
 

US using economic deprivation for ‘collective punishment’, says Araghchi

The Iranian foreign minister has accused the US of “weaponising economic deprivation as an instrument of collective punishment and political coercion.”

The US, he said, is “deliberately inflicting grave and foreseeable harm on the Iranian people and directly violating their fundamental rights, including the rights to life, health, medicine and food.”

“This is not diplomacy; it is coercion and economic terrorism,” he added.

Araghchi dismisses claim that Iran is close to nuclear weapon as ‘big lie’

Araghchi has insisted Iran’s nuclear program remains “peaceful”.

“Iran has been a faithful partner to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since 1970 and has been subjected to extensive IAEA monitoring for decades,” said Araghchi.

“The United States cannot credibly claim to defend nonproliferation while attacking IAEA-safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities, in clear violation of its international obligations,” he continued.

Araghchi says safe navigation ‘cannot be restored through further military action’

Continuing his remarks on the sidelines of the UNGA, Araghchi said Iran is committed to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but that this “cannot be restored through further military actions, threats, blockades or economic coercion.”

He said the current instability in the strait is “the direct result” of the US and Israel’s “aggressive actions”.

“You cannot bomb a country, threaten its annihilation, impose a maritime blockade and coercive measures, and expect automatic restoration of security and navigation,” he said.

Araghchi also blamed regional states who he claimed “enabled and facilitated the aggression” by opening up their territory to “aggressors”.

Araghchi says ‘choice rests with US’ over proposed seven-day Hormuz plan

Araghchi has referenced Iran’s seven-day proposal to reopen Hormuz, which he says was presented to the US via Qatar.

“The choice now rests with the United States,” said Araghchi. “Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation. And Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure.”

Timeline for seven-day plan would start ‘as soon as US accepts’, says Araghchi

Araghchi has provided more details on Iran’s proposed seven-day plan to reopen Hormuz.

Asked when the timeline would begin, Araghchi said, “as soon as the United States accepts this plan”.

“If they accept this plan tomorrow, the seven days will start from tomorrow,” he added.

Araghchi said that the US would have to take “certain actions” under the plan that he believes could be completed in four or five days. “The actions… are not new, they are all already in the MoU,” said Araghchi, “so we don’t see any difficulty to implement them.”

If the US meets these conditions, the strait would be open on day six and renewed talks with the US would commence the following day, he continued.

“If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” said Araghchi.

US objectives regarding Iran ‘have not changed’: State Department spokesman 

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott about recent reports of an Iranian proposal to end the conflict.

Asked about Washington’s reading of the reported proposal, Pigott stressed that any agreement with Iran would have to “actions-based”.

“Fundamentally, the conditions and objectives we have… have been made clear to the Iranian regime and those have not changed,” Pigott continued.

‘Door to diplomacy has been open’ for Iran, US State Department spokesman says

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the US has remained open to diplomacy with Iran throughout the conflict.

“The door to diplomacy has been open since the beginning,” he said. “It’s not the United States that has stopped that from happening.”

The choice is with the Iranian regime,” he continued, adding that Tehran has a choice over whether to “continue suffering the consequences for [its] malign activities,” or pursue a path to “normalcy, peace and prosperity through diplomacy”.

US is ‘severing’ Iranian government’s financial lifelines, US State Department spokesman says

US State Department spokesman Pigott stressed that Trump is committed to seeing through his fundamental objective regarding Iran: ensuring that its government does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

“The president holds all of the cards here,” Pigott said.

He said the amount of oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz was increasing every day and that the US’s economic operation against Iran was “severing” the Iranian government’s “financial lifelines”.

Trump told Xi helping Iran is ‘unacceptable’, says US ambassador

US President Donald Trump has made clear to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Chinese help for Iran is “unacceptable”, the US ambassador to Beijing says.

“We made it very clear to them weeks ago that any help that they would give to Iran, whether direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable,” Ambassador David Perdue told CNBC.

Responding to a question about whether China was helping Iran with closing the Strait of Hormuz, Purdue said that “there’s been indirect support we think, but there’s no direct evidence. We’re very concerned about this indirect work, and we made it clear.”

Purdue added that Trump “made it clear what our interests are with regard to Iran”.

Trump said on Friday that he had a “very productive meeting” with the Chinese President and that “tremendous things will be happening,” without offering further details.

Trump says he discussed Iran war with Xi

US President Donald Trump says he has discussed the Iran war with Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“I think we’re going to do great,” Trump said on Friday when asked if he thought there would be progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

US ambassador to China, David Perdue, told CNBC earlier on Friday that “there’s been indirect support”, in response to a question about whether China was helping Iran with closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Perdue said that Trump has made it clear to Xi that Chinese help for Iran is “unacceptable”.

Less than 10 vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday

Vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz fell to nine on Thursday, according to the latest ship tracking data, reported by the Reuters news agency.

That’s compared with 14 ships the previous day.

However, some vessels may be sailing through the waterways with their transponders turned off and they are not considered in the counts.

The rolling 10-day average of ships crossing the Strait is around 18

Sixty vessels passed through Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, says US official

Sixty vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a US defence official says.

The vessels carried the largest daily volume of oil since early July, the official added.

Analytics firms like Kpler and preliminary shipping reports recorded a much lower number of trackable, transponder-active commodity vessels (around 10 to 14 ships), as many vessels navigate the area with transponders turned off or do not appear on public commercial tracking feeds.

This means that around 56 vessels could not be verified having transited through the Strait.

Hormuz blockade ‘unacceptable,’ calls for collective action: Qatar’s PM

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about the regional pressure resulting from the US-Iran war.

“The blockade may be imposed on Iran, but it’s also a blockade imposed on the Gulf countries, especially Qatar. We can’t get ships out – it’s very difficult and challenging,” he said. “You have seen that the strait is insecure, and this is unacceptable. The strait is an international waterway, and it is a global problem.”

He called for coordinated international action to address the situation, saying the strait’s insecurity is “an issue used in this war, which is, again, unacceptable”.

Sheikh Mohammed added, “For us, in order to protect our people and future generations, we should end this manipulation and blackmailing of waterways.”

“Anyone who is using the waterways to block countries and block freedom of navigation – this is unacceptable. It’s strong-arming, and we refuse any blockade or blackmailing from any country or party,” he said.

Iran’s president thanks China’s Xi for backing Islamabad MoU

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has posted a message on social media thanking China’s President Xi Jinping for backing a return to the Islamabad MoU that briefly stopped hostilities between the US and Iran.

“I appreciate President Xi Jinping’s thoughtful and responsible support for a return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and for resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy,” wrote Pezeshkian on his X account.

“Iran shares this approach and underscores the importance of returning to that understanding, honoring the commitments already agreed upon, and creating the conditions necessary for serious, substantive, and results-oriented negotiations to move forward,” he added.

The Chinese president reportedly expressed hope that the US and Iran would return to the Islamabad MoU while meeting with Trump at the White House yesterday.

US redirects 122 vessels under Iran blockade, says CENTCOM

US Central Command says they redirected 122 commercial vessels to “ensure strict compliance” with the “US blockade against Iran”.

US Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are aboard the USS Boxer as the ship continues “to support enforcement of the US blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

IRGC spokesperson says Iran creating ‘permanent strategic deterrence’

A spokesperson for Iran’s IRGC has said Iran has emerged as the victor in the conflict with the US and is translating its victory into “permanent strategic deterrence”.

In comments carried by the Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC spokesperson claimed the US has not been able to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for even a few hours, contrary to Washington’s claims. The spokesperson said the US continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz is open to “prevent oil price spikes”.

UN’s Guterres says Iran not seeking nuclear weapons, Iranian media reports

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that, based on his assessment, Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency and the semi-official Fars news agency.

Pezeshkian, for his part, said claims that Iran was seeking a nuclear weapon were “illusions and fabrications”.

“Iran’s goal is to acquire peaceful nuclear knowledge and technology and benefit from it, not to produce nuclear weapons,” he said, according to IRNA.

He added that Tehran had not withdrawn from negotiations but no longer trusted the United States after what he described as repeated failures of diplomacy.

Guterres also said he planned to urge countries in the region to support the diplomatic process during an upcoming Middle East trip, IRNA reported.

Trump administration faces political pressure over fuel prices, Iran war

The Trump administration has been saying throughout the war, particularly with the spike in fuel prices, that the minute the war is resolved, American drivers would see the price of fuel drop precipitously.

Every time the war escalates, the futures price on the global commodities market continues to rise, and that means higher prices for consumers in the US.

But even if everything stopped tomorrow, energy analysts suggest that it would take time for these prices to actually work their way through the system. You would not see the price of fuel drop by more than a dollar in the space of just a few days, which certainly would make drivers happy, make their bank accounts happy, but that simply isn’t how the energy markets work.

Businesses end up pricing in these increased fuel prices, and they can’t simply change all of their prices and all of their costs on a dime.

This is something the Trump administration would like to remove as a reason why voters would not support Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.

But if the administration were to capitulate too quickly, in some eyes, to Iranian demands, there could be a political price to pay as well.