Iran supreme leader calls for unity among Muslim countries

Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday called on Muslim countries in the region to unite against the United States and Israel, in a written message issued six months on from the start of the Middle East war.

Khamenei, in power since his father Ali Khamenei was killed at the start of the war on February 28, has yet to be seen in public since his appointment, and authorities have not released any video or audio of him.

"The solution to the problems of the Islamic nations is unity of words, friendship, and cooperation on the path of goodness," he said, according to his official website.

The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sailed past Singapore early on Sunday as it headed home after a grueling deployment in the Middle East. It's expected to stop in Thailand for a port visit.

Associated Press journalists on the Indonesian island of Batam, across the Singapore Strait, spotted the massive vessel as it transited waters near Singapore just after 1am local time.

The Lincoln, one of the US Navy's largest warships, was supporting the US war against Iran. Its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln's lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products.

Thai officials have said the Lincoln will stop in Thailand for rest and recovery before returning to its US base.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Iran and the United States is in the interests of the country, West Asia and the world.

During a ceremony in the Iranian capital Tehran, he stressed that with the MoU's implementation, the United States and Israel will not be able to cause chaos, aggression and insecurity in the region, and regional states will be able to pursue the path of stability and development, according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Pezeshkian highlighted the need for foiling the "enemies' sinister plots" through promoting unity and solidarity among Muslim states, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said that Iran has never been the party to start a war, adding, "We do not welcome war, but will stand strongly against any aggressor, and no power can force a nation that is standing with all its might and will into surrender."

Also on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a social media post that "major" efforts are underway to manipulate global energy markets for personal gains and prolong the US war against Iran.

Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps announced on the same day that the country's security forces have dealt a "decisive" blow to a "terrorist" team affiliated with the United States and Israel in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, killing one of its members and arresting six others.

After six months of war, Iran's new leadership appears ready for a potentially long confrontation with the United States and determined to prevent any unrest at home.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi reiterated Tehran's stance that the Strait of Hormuz would not open until the U.S. meets its agreements under the memorandum of understanding the countries signed in mid-June, state media reported. The strait has become a source of leverage for Iran after it asserted control of the waterway early in the war.

The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, still has not been seen publicly since his father and other senior leaders were killed in the war's opening strikes on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked.

With appointments announced Aug. 11 and 12, Khamenei has surrounded himself with longtime personal allies like the new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, and the new head of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guard's volunteer street force, Hossein Taeb.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have redirected 82 commercial vessels since the start of the operation, while three vessels have been disabled and two boarded to ensure compliance.

CENTCOM provided the figures in a social media post on August 29, without giving further details on the vessels involved or the circumstances surrounding the actions.

The White House has offered few details beyond President Donald Trump's social media post about what he described as the “biggest oil deal in world history” in Venezuela.

Trump said the agreement announced on Friday would give the United States a stake in Venezuela's vast oil reserves, advancing his goal of increasing American access to the country's energy resources after US forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in January and took him to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.

Will the deal lower US gas prices?

Probably not in the near term.

Trump has said the agreement will help bring down fuel prices for Americans. The issue has taken on added importance as the Iran war disrupts shipments of Arabian Gulf oil and keeps energy prices elevated ahead of the November US elections.

Oil industry experts, however, have warned that Venezuela's ageing and damaged infrastructure could take years and billions of dollars to restore. A significant increase in oil production is therefore unlikely to happen quickly.

Read more here.

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Day 170: US-Iran tensions: Trump calls Hormuz ‘American territory’, warns Iran on nuclear weapons