US-Iran War Live Updates: Oman, Iran agree to continue Strait of Hormuz talks - EUROPE SAYS
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as the United States strengthens its military posture around Iran and diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent a wider regional conflict. Washington has. . .
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as the United States strengthens its military posture around Iran and diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent a wider regional conflict. Washington has increased its naval presence in waters near Iran and issued a series of warnings following recent security incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, while regional mediators have stepped up efforts to keep channels of communication open. Against this backdrop, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in Muscat for consultations with Omani officials on regional security and the management of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, a long-time intermediary between Tehran and Washington, continues to facilitate dialogue as Iran maintains that it has the sovereign right to safeguard the strategic waterway and accuses the US of failing to uphold its commitments under the bilateral memorandum of understanding. The United States-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Switzerland last month to end the ongoing conflict between the two countries, appears to be on the brink of collapse as hostilities between Washington and Tehran flare up once again. On Wednesday, the US launched strikes on Iranian targets—the first since the MoU was signed on June 17—after three civilian tankers were attacked, allegedly by Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. The US conducted another wave of strikes on Thursday, drawing retaliatory attacks from Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has been effectively blockaded by Tehran since early March in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks in late February, which triggered the current Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for 37 years, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, bringing to a close funeral ceremonies that began in Tehran on July 3. Khamenei was assassinated in the first wave of US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Khamenei’s last rites were attended by three of his four sons. However, Mojtaba Khamenei, the slain leader’s second-eldest son and successor as Iran’s supreme authority, did not attend the funeral. Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts remain unknown after he was reportedly injured in the strikes that killed his father, and he is believed to have sustained grievous injuries. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Trump briefed Netanyahu on “American moves in the Gulf,” in what appeared to be a reference to the latest US strikes. Tehran has warned Washington that it has already responded to the latest attacks and, if necessary, will deliver a “firm and decisive response” to what it described as repeated US violations of the MoU. Tags:ConflictsIranmiddle eastmiddle east crisisTehran