US-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz crisisPage 6 of 11
A military and diplomatic confrontation between the United States and Iran has escalated following US strikes and threats, with fighting affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the strait, which Trump has rejected, while both sides continue talks. The conflict has drawn in regional players including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq, and has disrupted oil markets and aviation.
US forces in the Middle East are prepared to launch new, potentially major, military operations against Iran “within 96 hours of receiving” an order from President Donald Trump, according to two US officials. Sufficient forces are now deployed in the region to carry out the potential attacks, the sources said. The scope of new US …
The post US has plans for major Iran strikes if Trump chooses appeared first on Egypt Independent.
Oct 26 (Reuters) - Top officials from the Mecca Pact countries Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to meet Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional coordination, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
Saudi Arabia will be represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, the people said on condition of anonymity.
The Turkish head of intelligence will also join, one of the people said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country’s positions.
The remarks come amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.
“Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran.
“They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past.”
An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
These military flare-ups have lulled in recent weeks.
Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorisation — moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region.
In response, the US has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
In June, Iran agreed with the United States to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating it.
Tehran has since called for a return to the accord to end the conflict.
“The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,” said Araghchi.
“To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.”
Riyadh's international airport said flights would resume on Sunday after a two-week closure following strikes from Yemen's Houthis on the Saudi capital, though the Iran-backed group warned of more to come.
The Flight Radar monitoring site showed a plane taking off from Riyadh airport early Sunday, heading to the Saudi city of Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia, along with Yemen's internationally recognised government that it backs, has faced a wave of Houthi attacks in recent weeks after a years-long truce broke down in the summer.
Anton Mardosov, reporting from Moscow, and our correspondent in Tehran assess the limits of Russian influence in Iran; Ben Caspit reports that Netanyahu could force a unity government with an attack on Iran after the elections.
Oct 25 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Sunday renewed their warning against using Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, hours after the airport announced it will designate two terminals for flights following a suspension earlier this month.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the airport remained a "military target" and operations targeting the airport will continue, warning all airlines, airport staffers and travellers against using it.
(Refiles to correct typo in quote)
DUBAI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, in remarks broadcast on state TV on Saturday, blamed the United States for the failure of an interim deal with Iran, but said there should be a new attempt at concluding it.
"We were having negotiations, the cowards (Americans) messed everything up...I still think we should go and conclude it," Pezeshkian said.
(Reporting by Dubai newsroom)
Ras Al Khaimah authorities said on Saturday that all beaches in the emirate would be closed until further notice, a day after an offshore oil leak prompted beach closures in neighbouring Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah.
The Public Services Department announced the closures in a statement shared by Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters. No reason was given.
The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that efforts were underway to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore, with its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment conducting an environmental assessment.
All beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed until technical teams completed their assessments and determined the necessary safety and marine protection measures, the ministry said.
The ministry also urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions.
Authorities in Sharjah temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, on the UAE’s northern coast near the border with Umm Al Quwain, as a precaution, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said.
Residents reported unusual odours in parts of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, but the UAE’s environment ministry said they posed no health risks. The smell remained pungent across Umm Al Quwain on Friday.
UAE authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have heightened concerns about maritime security and the conflict’s environmental fallout.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned in a memo to Secretary of State Rubio that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel," and the plots have "reached advanced stages."
Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude touching a more than five-month high, after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concern over further disruption to energy supplies from the Middle East.
Brent crude futures gained $1.40, or 1.2 per cent, to $114.57 a barrel by 1138 GMT (4:38pm PKT), having earlier reached $115 for the highest level since May 4. US West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.48, or 1.5pc, to $100.95.
The Brent benchmark is on track for a third consecutive weekly gain, of 4.2pc, while WTI is poised to finish 0.5pc down on the week.
Saudi Aramco on Thursday ordered the evacuation of its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf near Bahrain, Reuters reported, as fighting intensified between the world’s largest crude exporter and Yemen-based Houthis.
“The market remains concerned about a potential escalation, which, in a worst-case scenario, could trigger renewed supply disruptions,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, adding that volatile oil flows and elevated freight rates have left the market undersupplied.
Clashes between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition that backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government have raged since the Houthis pushed towards Bab el-Mandab, a shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea.
“The key factors to monitor now are the extent of actual disruption and the time needed to restore operations, as these will ultimately determine how much of a supply risk premium the market is willing to pay,” said XS.com analyst Linh Tran. “If attacks persist and delay deliveries, elevated prices will have a firmer foundation.”
An oil spill from a tanker was detected off the coast of Umm Al Quwain, prompting containment operations and environmental assessments, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Friday.
The ministry did not say what caused the spill, and authorities have not identified the tanker involved.
In Libya, an oil pipeline valve from the Hamada and Tahara oilfields to Zawiya port was shut, leading to a reduction in production at both fields, the head of the National Oil Corporation told Reuters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the first Russian diesel bound for the US since a surprise agreement between Moscow and US President Donald Trump is aboard a tanker heading for New York, ship-tracking data showed today.
Trump announced the deal this month as part of his efforts to bring down soaring diesel prices ahead of US midterm elections next month.
