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
The US military has cleared mines from the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard vital shipping, but regional tensions remain sharp. Trump warned that American military action against Iran could continue, citing Tehran's weakening economy and forces. Diplomatic efforts are gaining ground as Qatar's PM visited Tehran to seek peaceful solutions. To reinforce its presence, Washington is deploying a new aircraft carrier strike group to the region. Follow all the latest developments here:
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).
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.
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."
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.
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.
Iran’s foreign minister has said diplomacy with the United States can be revived, but only if Washington abandons pressure and begins rebuilding trust, following “creative discussions” with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister in Tehran.
Abbas Araghchi said putting diplomacy “back on track isn’t impossible”, arguing that any renewed negotiations would depend on the United States recognising that “pressure doesn’t work”.
“The U.S. should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge our rights, and uphold commitments,” Araghchi wrote on X after meeting Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: The latest US economic measures against Iran amount to state terrorism and are illegal and reprehensible.
Washington’s economic campaign is a cruel tool designed to inflict pain and suffering on the Iranian people.
US sanctions are placing the health and livelihoods of millions of civilians at serious risk.
The measures amount to an international crime and a crime against humanity.
Kuwait is exploring alternative routes for its oil exports to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war disrupted regional trade and energy shipments.
Reuters reported that Kuwait Petroleum Corporation is in talks with Saudi Arabia and the UAE about expanding their pipeline networks to accommodate Kuwaiti crude exports.
The move is part of broader efforts by Gulf states to rethink investment strategies and channel billions of dollars into infrastructure, including oil pipelines, ports and railways. The aim is to develop alternative trade and export routes and reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has faced major disruptions for much of the past six months.
Pakistan and Kuwait signed a joint defence and military cooperation agreement on Thursday, strengthening ties between the two countries’ armed forces.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Kuwait’s Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah.
During their meeting, the two sides discussed ways to expand military and defence cooperation, as well as regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest. They also reviewed efforts to address shared challenges and promote regional security and stability while strengthening their strategic partnership.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence described the agreement as a milestone in bilateral military and defence ties. It said the deal would provide a framework for improving operational coordination, sharing expertise and enhancing the readiness and integration of the two countries’ armed forces.
The ministry said the cooperation would serve the common interests of Pakistan and Kuwait and contribute to regional security and stability.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Friday that around 6,000 seafarers aboard 400 ships remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, as the ongoing war continues to disrupt shipping through one of the world’s key trade and energy routes.
Speaking to CBS, Dominguez said the conflict was continuing to cause major disruption to critical supply chains, with the impact being felt well beyond the region.
He warned that prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could have wider consequences for the global economy, given the waterway’s importance to international trade and energy supplies.
The Israeli military said it struck "several terrorists" in the area of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday, a relatively rare airstrike in the partly semi-autonomous Palestinian territory.
"A short while ago, the IDF conducted a precise strike against several terrorists in the Jenin area. Details to follow," the military said in a brief statement.
New Israeli strikes kill five in Gaza, authorities sayIsraeli strikes killed five people in Gaza on Friday, authorities in the Palestinian territory said, in the latest day of attacks despite international appeals to move ahead on a peace plan.
The civil defence agency, which serves as a rescue service under Hamas, said that the bodies of three people were recovered in pieces after Israeli strikes in the town of Al-Qarara, east of Khan Yunis.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis named the three people and said they all belonged to the same family, with two aged 42 and one aged 28.
An Israeli military spokesperson, contacted by AFP, said that the military was looking into it.
Gaza authorities later reported two additional deaths, including in a drone attack near Gaza City.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday urged countries not to join Washington's unilateral sanctions against Iran.
In a statement, the ministry condemned US sanctions policies against Iran, saying they were "in violation of the UN Charter, international humanitarian law and human rights."
The ministry accused the United States of using the dollar as a tool to intimidate other countries into following "interventionist" policies against Tehran.
It called on all countries to refrain from implementing the sanctions or recognising the situations or impacts resulting from "these illegal actions."
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