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Iran, Oman Hold talks to Manage Hormuz 08/26 06:02
The top diplomats of Iran and Oman met on Tuesday to discuss a phased
approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains
largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.
(AP) -- The top diplomats of Iran and Oman met on Tuesday to discuss a
phased approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which
remains largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.
The talks came after an oil tanker was disabled in an attack off the coast
of Oman, underscoring the ongoing dangers for shipping companies attempting to
use the waterway while it's under Iranian control.
Here's a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider
Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Iran and Oman issue statement on talks to manage the strait
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with his Iranian counterpart,
Abbas Araghchi, in Tehran, Iran's capital, to discuss a framework for managing
ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint statement by the two countries, located on opposite sides of the
narrow strait, said the proposed framework includes a "joint temporary
navigational corridor" and both countries working to clear mines from the
waterway.
The statement said Iran and Oman will continue technical negotiations toward
establishing a permanent shipping corridor and an agreement on the future
administration of the strait.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that the two
countries had reached an understanding on a temporary route. Traffic into the
Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters,
while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly
through Oman's territorial waters.
Iran and Oman would then hold negotiations over 30 to 60 days to "reach an
understanding on a new permanent and sustainable route," he said.
About a fifth of the world's traded oil passed through the strait before the
United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
It's unknown whether the U.S. will accept the emerging deal. U.S. President
Donald Trump last week threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of
American efforts to reopen the strait.
Iran's president and other senior officials also discussed the strait with a
delegation from Pakistan that left Tehran on Tuesday following talks on
reviving negotiations to end the Iran-U.S. conflict, the Pakistani military
said.
A tanker is hit and disabled off Oman's eastern coast
A strike on an oil tanker on Monday night off Oman's coast disabled the
ship's engine, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Organization reported. It said all crew were reported safe.
There were no immediate reports of any environmental impact.
Iran periodically fires at vessels attempting to transit the strait to
enforce its control of the waterway, though there was no immediate claim for
Monday's attack. The U.S. has also fired on vessels while imposing a blockade
of Iranian ports.
No answers a year after Israeli soldiers kill 22 Palestinians, including
journalists and rescuers
Tuesday marked one year since Israeli soldiers killed 22 Palestinians,
including journalists and rescue workers, in a double strike on a hospital in
Gaza that provoked global outrage. No one has been held accountable.
Israeli officials said the target was a suspected Hamas camera on the roof
of Nasser Hospital. Among those killed were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri
and Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for The Associated Press and
other news organizations.
Despite repeated requests by the AP, the army has not provided details about
the investigation or a timeline for when it could be completed. Rights groups
say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing
to long investigations that rarely lead to prosecution.
China warns about US sanctions threat disrupting its cooperation with Iran
China's Foreign Ministry says it is closely following plans announced by
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to expand sanctions to entities and
individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation "should
not be disrupted or undermined," noting that it has conformed with
international law.
China is one of Iran's biggest trading partners and purchases the majority
of its total oil exports.
The Treasury Department on Monday said it was imposing sanctions on nearly
60 Iran-linked entities, including several based in China. It stopped short of
imposing secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran.
Israeli strikes kill at least 4 people in Gaza
An Israeli strike killed at least three people on Tuesday in the Jabaliya
refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the
casualties. Another strike, northwest of the city of Khan Younis in southern
Gaza, killed at least one Palestinian and wounded four, according to the city's
Nasser hospital.
Separately, Medical Aid for Palestinians, a U.K.-based charity providing
health and humanitarian assistance, said an Israeli airstrike destroyed a
warehouse belonging to a local partner in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The
warehouse stored nutritional supplies for children, pregnant women and
breastfeeding mothers, the charity said.
The Israeli military said it struck a suspected militant in southern Gaza
and several targets it described as Hamas infrastructure in Jabaliya. It did
not immediately comment on the warehouse strike.
Palestinians in Gaza face severe food shortages, with many displaced
families relying on scarce humanitarian aid and charity kitchens for meals.
Israeli forces seize vocational school run by a UN agency
Israel on Tuesday seized a U.N.-run facility housing a vocational school on
the outskirts of Jerusalem, advancing its campaign against the U.N. agency that
provides humanitarian services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the
Mideast.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the agency, known as UNRWA, does not own the
land. Israel cited similar reasoning when its forces demolished the agency's
former east Jerusalem headquarters in January.
The U.N. interim Mideast coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, called the seizure
unlawful and said it deprived 340 Palestinian refugees of educational services.
Israel has accused UNRWA of anti-Israel bias and at times of employing
Palestinian militants. The United Nations and UNRWA have denied the accusations
and say they investigate credible allegations and act quickly to purge
suspected militants among staff.
Last year Israel's Knesset passed legislation severing ties with the agency
and banning it from functioning in what it defines as Israel -- including east
Jerusalem.
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