BRIC Team reports: His comments came after Trump, who faces growing pressure over the war’s impact on the US economy, said on Monday the US-Iran ceasefire was on “life support” and that he was considering restarting naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz. Report says Iran retains missile strength: The New York Times reported Tuesday that classified US intelligence assessments say Iran still has substantial missile capabilities, with about 70 percent of its mobile launchers and pre-war missile stockpile still in action, and has restored access to 30 of 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz. Advertisement War diplomacy Chinese supertanker crosses Hormuz: Chinese crude oil supertanker Yuan Hua Hu was reportedly transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship-tracking data showed, passing Iran’s Larak Island while heading out of the Gulf.
Hezbollah rules out disarmament talks: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said his group’s weapons were not part of forthcoming ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. “This is an internal Lebanese matter and not part of negotiations with the enemy,” he said before the third round of Lebanon-Israel talks scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Qatar warns over Hormuz pressure: Qatar’s prime minister said Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz, blocked since early in the war, as a means of “blackmail” against Gulf states.
Background
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also said a recent visit to Washington was aimed at supporting Pakistan’s mediation efforts to help end the conflict. Iran defends Hormuz stance: Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid said Iranian officials reject suggestions they are using the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon, insisting vessels can still move safely through routes coordinated by the IRGC Navy even as Tehran tightens control over the strategic waterway. Australia joins Gulf mission: Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia will join a “strictly defensive” mission led by France and the United Kingdom to secure shipping through the strait, once it is established, and contribute a surveillance aircraft to protect the United Arab Emirates from Iranian drone attacks.
Key facts
- Hezbollah rules out disarmament talks: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said his group’s weapons were not part of forthcoming ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
- “This is an internal Lebanese matter and not part of negotiations with the enemy,” he said before the third round of Lebanon-Israel talks scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also said a recent visit to Washington was aimed at supporting Pakistan’s mediation efforts to help end the conflict.
What this means
Turkiye sees chance for de-escalation: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he believes both the US and Iran now have “enough will” to stop the conflict, warning that further escalation would deepen global economic instability and regional tensions. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Fidan urged both sides to pursue a lasting settlement, saying the war’s impact extends far beyond the two countries. The Gulf UAE gas facility hit by war: The UAE’s main gas processing complex, one of the world’s largest, will not resume full capacity until next year, its operator said, after it was hit in the Iran war.
ADNOC Gas said the Habshan site in Abu Dhabi was operating at 60 percent. Kuwait arrests alleged IRGC operatives: The country said it arrested four men accused of belonging to Iran’s IRGC after they tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island by sea and injured a Kuwaiti soldier. Authorities said the suspects, arrested on board a fishing boat allegedly chartered for “hostile actions”, admitted they had been tasked by the IRGC with carrying out the operation.
