Welcome to our live coverage of events unfolding in the Middle East.
Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday following a truce agreement between Israel and Lebanon, a move that sparked hopes for a broader regional peace. However, Tehran issued a stern warning, stating it would close the vital waterway once again if the United States’ naval blockade of Iranian ports continued.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced that the global energy chokepoint was accessible to all commercial vessels for the duration of the 10-day, US-brokered truce, which was agreed upon on Thursday. US President Donald Trump hailed Iran’s decision as “a great and brilliant day for the world.”
Despite the initial optimism, subsequent statements and clarifications from both sides introduced uncertainty regarding the swift return to normal shipping operations. Some vessels were observed making unsuccessful attempts to cross the strait on Friday before being forced to turn back.
Trump reiterated that a US blockade on ships sailing to Iranian ports would remain in effect until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” In response, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, retorted that the Hormuz Strait “will not remain open” if the US blockade persisted, accusing Trump of making multiple false claims on Friday.
Trump later threatened to end the ceasefire with Iran and “start dropping bombs again” if a long-term deal to end the war was not reached by Wednesday, the expiration date of their current truce.
In other significant developments:
World leaders largely welcomed Iran’s announcement regarding the waterway’s reopening. UN chief António Guterres described the move as “a step in the right direction” and called for “the full restoration of international navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, respected by everyone.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who co-chaired a virtual summit of approximately 50 countries on the issue on Friday, emphasized that the reopening must become permanent. Trump also noted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was “very happy” that the Hormuz Strait “is open and/or rapidly opening.”
Oil prices experienced a significant tumble after Iran’s Hormuz announcement, fueled by hopes that energy supplies could resume after nearly two months of disruption. Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, plunged below $90 a barrel, marking a 10% fall.
Trump claimed that the US had “prohibited” Israel from bombing Lebanon and asserted that “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer.” This statement came minutes before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu uploaded a video address declaring that Israel was not yet finished with Hezbollah.
The Lebanese army reported “a number of violations” by Israel of the ceasefire on Friday morning, as thousands of displaced families began their journey home to southern Lebanon. The conflict since March 1st has tragically claimed over 2,100 lives in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people.
Trump stated that Iran’s enriched uranium would be brought to the US, also claiming that the US and Tehran would collaborate to recover the uranium. He, however, denied reports that the US was considering a $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal, telling Reuters, “No money is changing hands.”
A cruise ship successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, marking it as the first passenger vessel to navigate the strait since the war began, according to ship tracking service MarineTraffic.
The Trump administration issued a waiver permitting countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products at sea for about a month, an effort aimed at controlling soaring global energy prices.
The UN children’s agency expressed its “outrage” after two truck drivers it had contracted to deliver clean water to families in Gaza were killed by Israeli fire.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, has once again entered the waters of the Middle East, US defense officials confirmed.
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