On Thursday, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” any small Iranian boats that deploy mines to further congest traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that the military is intensifying its mine-clearing efforts in the critical waterway.<\/p>\n
The president also announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire deal by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. The initial ceasefire was due to expire on Monday.<\/p>\n
Regarding the ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran, negotiations initially planned for this week have not occurred. Iran insists it will not negotiate until the U.S. ends its blockade on Iranian ports and ships. The White House insists it will not take part until Tehran opens the strait to international traffic.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the latest from Friday:<\/p>\n
US officials headed to Pakistan
\nU.S. officials told Reuters that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are headed to Pakistan. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed the pair will be attending talks there with Iran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was reported to be headed to Pakistan earlier on Friday on a planned trip, according to Iranian state news agency. This is the first meeting between the two sides since the first round of talks in Islamabad earlier this month that ended without a deal.<\/p>\n
Iran official heading to Pakistan
\nIran’s state-run news agency confirmed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is headed to Pakistan for talks. The agency said Araghchi’s trip is focused on “bilateral consultations and discussions on ongoing regional developments, as well as the latest situation surrounding the imposed war by the United States and Israel against Iran.”<\/p>\n
Hegseth criticizes allies
\nSecretary of State Hegseth called out European allies, saying they are “freeriding” and being disloyal for their inaction on the Strait of Hormuz. “We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do,” Hegseth said to reporters. He added that U.S. allies “might want to start doing less talking” instead of holding “a fancy conference” and “a silly conference.”<\/p>\n
Blockade will continue \u2018as long as it takes\u2019
\nIn a press briefing held at the Pentagon Friday morning, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. blockade will continue “as long as it takes” to accomplish the military’s objectives at the Strait of Hormuz. As of Friday morning, 34 ships have been turned around at the blockade.<\/p>\n
Trump extending Jones Act waiver
\nPresident Trump is extending the Jones Act waiver for 90 days. The move should make it easier for non-American vessels to transport oil and natural gas to the U.S. A 60-day waiver was announced in March as a way to help stabilize energy prices. “New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” a White House press aid released Thursday.<\/p>\n
US has 3 aircraft carriers in the Middle East
\nFor the first time in decades, the United States military has three aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H.W. Bush, collectively have over 200 aircraft, 15,000 sailors and marines.<\/p>\n
#IranUSRelations #StraitOfHormuz #USDiplomacy #PakistanTalks #MiddleEastTensions #TrumpAdministration #IranBlockade #NavalPresence #GlobalSecurity #EnergyPolicy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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