Pakistan and Qatar are working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table as renewed military exchanges threaten to derail the fragile ceasefire, CNN reported, citing regional sources. According to the report, Pakistan and Qatar were key mediators during earlier negotiations in Switzerland that culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in mid-June. Oman also played a facilitating role during previous rounds of diplomacy. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday urged all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further destabilise the region. ALSO READ: 14 killed In US Strikes On Iran; Bahrain Sounds Nationwide Alarm As Tehran Retaliates Across Gulf "There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve shared goal of peace in the region," the ministry said in a statement. Pakistan also called on all sides to honour their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. "Pakistan urges all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which remains an enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond," the ministry added. The diplomatic push comes as the ceasefire appeared to weaken further on Thursday, with both countries launching fresh attacks for a second consecutive day. According to the US military, American forces struck 90 targets along Iran's coastline overnight. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iran also said it fired 10 ballistic missiles towards a US military base in northern Jordan. Jordanian authorities said they intercepted missiles that entered the country's airspace and triggered air raid sirens. ALSO READ: Renewed US-Iran Tensions Cloud India's Iran Oil Import Plans Separately, Iranian state media reported that US forces struck multiple locations in the coastal province of Bushehr around midday local time, including the perimeter of a nuclear power plant and a fishing pier, citing a regional official. Washington has not confirmed carrying out those strikes. Meanwhile, Qatar intensified its diplomatic outreach. The country's foreign minister held calls with counterparts from Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as tensions escalated across the Gulf. Doha also condemned attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and reiterated the need for dialogue and diplomacy, according to CNN. Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
Pakistan and Qatar are working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table as renewed military exchanges threaten to derail the fragile ceasefire, CNN reported, citing regional sources. According to the report, Pakistan and Qatar were key mediators during earlier negot…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.