US declares Hormuz mine-cleared as Qatar, Iran seek de-escalation and new carrier heads to Middle East
Mine-cleared Hormuz tests Iran’s leverage as Gulf states and Washington recalibrate
Regional tensions remain high as US Central Command declares the Strait of Hormuz cleared of mines laid by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, reopening a lifeline for global oil shipping. In Tehran, Qatar's Prime Minister met President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday in the latest push for de-escalation, while Washington signalled a tougher line, with President Donald Trump hinting at sanctions on Chinese banks over their Iran dealings and a fresh US aircraft carrier preparing to sail for the region. Follow all the latest developments here:
US President Donald Trump stated that American military operations targeting Iran might not have ended, whilst firmly ruling out immediate talks with Tehran and asserting that the nation now possesses limited capabilities.
Addressing reporters, Trump highlighted that Iran is experiencing severe military and economic strain following recent confrontations.
"They're not paying their troops. They're in deep trouble," Trump said.
Furthermore, he cautioned against interpreting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a definitive end to potential US military engagement against the Middle Eastern nation.
"They are in deep trouble, they have very little capacity, the Strait of Hormuz is open, it doesn't mean we finished with the military," Trump said.
US Central Command's chief Admiral Brad Cooper, confirmed the removal of mines laid by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, calling it a major "milestone" that keeps key oil shipping lanes open. The operation supported over 1,500 vessels carrying 750 million barrels of oil, with more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft involved. While commercial traffic remains low compared to normal levels, the effort highlights ongoing US military presence amid tensions with Iran, though some note the strait isn't fully mine-free.
Tehran: Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Thursday as Doha stepped up diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating regional tensions and creating conditions for dialogue.
The Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a post on X, said the two sides discussed "regional developments, their impact on security and stability, and ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and foster a conductive environment for dialogue."
A new US aircraft carrier will deploy to the Middle East to relieve another carrier that recently sailed to the region as the war with Iran drags on, the US Naval Institute (USNI) reported.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group is expected to sail from San Diego, on the US west coast, in the coming weeks, for a more than seven-month deployment, USNI said Wednesday. It will relieve the USS George Washington, which deployed from Japan and arrived in the Middle East last week, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln, amid reports of grim conditions on that carrier that has been at sea since November 2025.
In a sharply worded opinion piece, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence and a prominent royal family voice, warned that Iran’s attempts to weaponise the Strait of Hormuz as diplomatic blackmail will ultimately backfire.
“What Tehran regards as leverage could, over time, become a strategic liability,” he wrote, arguing that Iran must abandon revolutionary ideology in favor of conventional state behaviour.
“Iran must conduct itself as a nation-state rather than as an international revolutionary movement.”
The article, titled “Strait Diplomacy: Where Is It Heading,” published Wednesday in the Saudi Gazette and the Arab News, comes amid stalled US-Iran talks following the collapse of a June 17, 2026, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
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