What to know about the Iran war:
A cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday near the Oman coast, according to a U.S. official. The vessel suffered damage to its bridge, but no one was injured, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre said.Secretary of State Marco Rubio again rejected the idea of Iran charging vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Oman said any system it creates with Iran to manage maritime traffic will not involve fees, but Iran was less definitive, saying it would work with Oman “to define future administration and maritime services in Strait of Hormuz.”The price of Brent crude, considered the international standard for the cost of oil, hovered around $75 a barrel on Thursday, briefly dropping in the morning to $72, its closest to its $70 pre-war level in almost four months.
“Very strong” nuclear verification needed in Iran after war, U.N. official says
A “very strong” verification system is needed in Iran following the Middle East conflict to ensure that the country doesn’t develop nuclear weapons, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said Friday.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi’s remarks come as the United States and Iran negotiate a broader deal to end the war, with Tehran’s nuclear program remaining a key sticking point.
“I think the objective of this (recent U.S.-Iran) agreement is to ensure that there is no development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention,” Grossi told reporters in Japan.
“But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place … as soon as is practicable,” he said.
Grossi also said the watchdog had “barely initiated” talks with Iran following its recent preliminary agreement with the U.S. about what to do with Tehran’s uranium stockpile.
“Initial conversations have taken place. … We expect this work to pick up soon,” Grossi said.
Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb while remaining adamant about its right to operate a full-scale civilian nuclear program.
Under a law passed by the Iranian parliament in the wake of last year’s 12-day war with Israel, Tehran suspended cooperation with the IAEA last July.
Trump says Iran will buy U.S. crops with sanctioned funds “pretty soon,” which Iran denies
President Trump said once again that Iran is expected to buy U.S. wheat, corn and soy — a claim a top Iranian negotiator has denied.
“All over the world, we’re opening up markets for the farmers,” the president said Thursday at a White House event with farmers. “And we have another one, a new market coming up, and that’s called the lovely country of Iran.”
The president continued during the Rose Garden event: “We’re going to be taking some of their money and we’ll spend it, and we’re going to be buying wheat, soybeans and corn. A lot of it. And that process is going to be starting pretty soon.”
Mr. Trump made a similar announcement Tuesday, writing on Truth Social that any sanctioned Iranian funds released by the U.S. Treasury will be “used for the purchase of food and medical supplies, exclusively from the United States.” He framed the plan as a win for American farmers.
But Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has helped lead negotiations with the U.S., called that claim false in a social media post Thursday.
“The only crop we’re harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust. It’s organic, abundant, and homegrown,” Ghalibaf wrote.
IRGC attacks commercial vessel in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. official confirms
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a Singapore-flagged commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.
The cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” on Thursday evening near the Oman coast, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations. The U.S. official confirmed the vessel was hit by an Iranian drone.
The U.S.-approved route for ships to travel through the Strait of Hormuz involves hugging the Omani coastline, while Iran has called for ships to travel along a northern route.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the agency set up by Iran to manage transit through the Straight of Hormuz, said in a statement after the attack, “Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees and will not be entitled to insurance coverage or related liabilities.”
It added, “The consequences arising from passage through unauthorized routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander.”
The vessel suffered damage to its bridge, but said no one was injured, according to the UKMTO, which receives reports of suspicious activity from all vessels in the Gulf region.
The ship continued on its way following the strike.
U.N. agency pauses evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz
A U.N. maritime agency has paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit Thursday by a projectile off the coast of Oman.
The head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.
“I have been informed of an attack today in the Gulf of Oman,” IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said on X. “Seafarer safety remains paramount. To ensure coordinated approach & navigational safety, the IMO evacuation plan will be paused until further clarity.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck the commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.
Situation in one Lebanon province “resembles a death trap”: Doctors Without Borders
The situation in Nabetieh, in southern Lebanon, “resembles a death trap,” Doctors Without Borders said on Thursday.
“The ongoing situation in Nabatiyeh is devastating,” Pierre Boulet-Desbareau, emergency coordinator, said in a statement. “What our teams are describing resembles a death trap. People are caught under heavy shelling, while rescue teams are unable to safely reach them. Civilians and first responders must be protected and unhindered access for rescue teams is urgently needed.”
Doctors Without Borders highlighted 50 people being killed in the province in the past several days, according to the country’s ministry of health, “during a drastic escalation in attacks across the governate.”
Negotiations with Iran over the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. have been hampered by the first point in the signed document, which calls for fighting to stop in Lebanon and “ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon,” a senior U.S. official said.
Iran has said Israeli forces must withdraw from southern Lebanon for them to agree to a final peace deal with the U.S. So far, Israel has been unwilling to do so.
Gulf Cooperation Council voices support for U.S. objectives in Iran
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s final stop in the Gulf region Thursday came at a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which released a lengthy joint statement with the U.S. agreeing on all points with the American objectives in Iran.
“The Ministers welcomed the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between the United States and Iran and recognized the important mediation roles played by Pakistan and Qatar,” the statement said. “They stressed the need to maintain momentum and unity as negotiations proceed toward a more permanent end to hostilities and the shared objective of preventing Iran from ever developing or otherwise acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
The six members of the GCC include Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“The Ministers further emphasized that lasting regional peace and security requires addressing the full spectrum of Iran’s threats, including its ballistic missiles, drones, and support of proxies in the region,” according to the joint statement.
The statement also included comments on tolls being charged in the Strait of Hormuz, a plan Iran has not ruled out following the cessation of the current 60-day pause. Oman, as Rubio earlier said, dismissed charging vessels passing through the strait between the two countries.
“The Ministers also emphasized the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, noting that free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation, including the right of transit passage as guaranteed under international law, remains essential to regional and global security,” the statement said.
Iran, Oman discuss “freedom of navigation” in Strait of Hormuz
The foreign ministers for Oman and Iran spoke by phone on Thursday night about “freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, a key point in the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, according to a readout from Oman’s foreign ministry.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi “reached an understanding on a mechanism for joint cooperation aimed at achieving the objectives of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding regarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The absence of tolls has been a key point of contention between the U.S. and Iran during negotiations. Oman had said earlier in the day it did not plan to impose any fees, though Iran has been more noncommittal in recent days, saying they could enforce fees after the current 60-day pause.
Araghchi issued a statement after Oman’s foreign ministry, saying, “We re-emphasized that Iran and Oman will conduct dialogue ‘to define future administration and maritime services in Strait of Hormuz.’ We’re determined and will do so in discussion with our neighbors.”
Cargo vessel in Strait of Hormuz hit by “unknown projectile” near Oman, maritime officials say
A cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” on Thursday evening near the Oman coast, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations.
The vessel suffered damage to its bridge, but said no one was injured, according to the UKMTO, which receives reports of suspicious activity from all vessels in the Gulf region.
The strike took place at 5:40 p.m. local time (10:10 a.m. ET).
It was not yet clear which ship had reported being struck, or any details on the “projectile.”
Credit: Yahoo News