News

Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei says strait should remain closed as Donald Trump claims US benefits from high oil prices.

Iran's new supreme leader vows to keep blocking Strait of Hormuz in first statement released by regime  BBC

Iran’s new leader says Strait of Hormuz to remain closed  Yahoo

New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear on camera and his remarks were read by presenters on state media.

Last week, oil surged past the $100-a-barrel milestone, after recording their largest one-week spike since March 1983

Muslim countries condemn Israel's 'unjustified' closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:10 Eight foreign ministers called the ban a 'flagrant violation to international law' and 'the historical and legal status quo' of the Muslim holy site The Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in the Old City of Jerusalem is pictured on 18 June 2023 (AFP) Off Eight Muslim-majority countries have condemned Israel's "unjustified" closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying Israel has "no sovereignty" over the revered site and must lift the restrictions immediately. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates criticised Israel's decision to block access to the mosque compound and the surrounding Old City. The ministers said the restrictions constituted a "flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship". They also described the measures as "illegal and unjustified" and condemned what they said were continued Israeli "provocative actions" against Muslim worshippers. "The Ministers affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure," the statement said, adding that Israel "has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israeli police announced earlier this week that all religious sites in the Old City - including Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - would remain closed for security reasons following Israel’s launch of air strikes on Iran alongside the United States, an escalation that has triggered a broader regional war. Israel's closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an act of war Read More » Authorities said the closure was necessary "to safeguard public safety and human life". The restrictions have effectively barred Palestinians from accessing Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, when tens of thousands would normally gather at the compound for Friday prayers. The ministers urged Israel to immediately reopen the mosque's gates and lift restrictions on access to the Old City, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to halt what they described as ongoing violations. They reiterated that the entire Al-Aqsa compound is "exclusively" for Muslim worshippers and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, holds legal authority over the site. Growing restrictions during Ramadan The closure follows a series of tightening restrictions on Muslim worship at the compound during Ramadan. Earlier this month, Israeli authorities banned Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa citing the "security situation" linked to the war on Iran, even as Jewish Purim celebrations were allowed to proceed elsewhere in the city.  Palestinians and religious authorities said the move effectively emptied the mosque of worshippers during one of the busiest periods of the Islamic calendar. Palestinian officials have accused Israel of using the regional conflict as a pretext to impose unprecedented restrictions on Muslim access to the complex. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the continued closure represents a "blatant violation of Palestinian rights," while Hamas described it as a "dangerous historical precedent" and a violation of freedom of worship. Al-Aqsa Mosque has long been governed by an international arrangement preserving its religious status as an exclusively Islamic site. Under this status quo, the administration of the site, including control over access, falls to the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, the Jordanian-appointed religious endowment responsible for managing the mosque complex. However, in recent years, since Israel's occupation of east Jerusalem, this arrangement has been increasingly eroded through restrictions on Muslim worshippers and Waqf officials, while the Jewish presence and Israeli control have expanded. Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

New Supreme Leader says ‘Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs’ In his first statement since taking over from his father, Iran's leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said the closure of Strait of Hormuz should be continued as a tool to pressure enemy. The Supreme Leader also said that all US bases in the region should be closed as they would be attacked demanding that Iran received reparations for "who suffered the damage" or it will destroy enemy assets. He added, "I would like to thank the brave fighters who are doing a great job at a time when our country is under pressure and under attack."

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says Strait of Hormuz should remain shut  Reuters

The US military is currently "not ready" to escort tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz because all its assets are focused on striking Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday. Wright's comments came as an attack on two oil tankers off Iraq killed at least one person, and oil prices briefly soared past $100. Since launching the war on Iran, US President Donald Trump has sought to calm the markets by offering US Navy escorts for oil tankers and reinsurance facilities for shipping companies -- but no escorts have so far taken place.

How the Iran War Is Disrupting the Strait of Hormuz  Bloomberg

TEHRAN, Mar. 11 (MNA) – IRGC said Thursday that its naval forces targeted an American oil tanker in the north of Persian Gulf after it had ignored the navigation regulation and the ban.

US 'simply not ready' for escort operations in Strait of Hormuz US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said that Washington is "simply not ready" to launch an operation to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. “It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now,” Wright said on CNBC. “We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities." He added that escort operations could start at the end of the month. “I’ll be over at the Pentagon later today – that is what the military is working on,” Wright said. His comments follow a post on his social media account which claimed that the Navy had successfully escorted a tanker through the Strait. Within minutes, the post was deleted. Oil prices have soared as the US-Israeli war on Iran has escalated. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has effectively been shut to exports since the war began. Iran has since deployed a dozen naval mines in the strategic waterway, potentially complicating efforts to reopen the crucial shipping route, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, corroborating earlier reporting by CNN.

Gulf states produce 40 percent of the world’s total desalinated water through more than 400 plants.

Muslim nations criticise Israel for Al-Aqsa Mosque Ramadan closure Eight Islamic and Arab countries on Thursday condemned Israel for keeping the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar called it "illegal and unjustified". In a joint statement, they said the continued closure of the mosque was "a flagrant violation to international law... and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship". Palestinians warn that the move forms part of a broader Israeli strategy to exploit security tensions to impose further restrictions and consolidate control over al-Aqsa Mosque. The closure came under what Israeli authorities describe as a state of emergency following its launch of a war with Iran on February 28. Muslim devotees offer Friday noon prayers at the Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on 27 February, 2026, during the holy month of Ramadan. (Ahmad Gharabli / AFP)

UN Security Council condemns Iran attacks on Gulf without mentioning US and Israel Rayhan Uddin on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:29 Iran says resolution is 'blatant misuse' of Security Council, as Russian draft calling for all sides to de-escalate is rejected Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN and president of the Security Council for the month of March, at UN headquarters in New York City on 11 March 2026 (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via AFP) Off The UN Security Council has voted to call for an end to Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting strong criticism from Tehran’s ambassador.   The resolution was tabled by Iran's Gulf neighbour Bahrain and sponsored by 135 countries.  It demanded “the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan”.  It also condemned actions or threats by Iran “aimed at closing, obstructing, or otherwise interfering with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”.  The resolution was passed by 13 votes to none against, with Russia and China abstaining. A second draft tabled by Russia, which called on all sides to cease hostilities, was rejected.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, Bahrain's UN envoy, said the vote reflected the Gulf’s key role in the global economy.  “This is why ensuring the security of this region is not merely a regional matter, it is a common international responsibility that is closely linked to the stability of the global economy and energy security,” he told the Security Council. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said the adoption of the text was a “blatant misuse” of the Security Council that leaves “a lasting stain on its record”.  “Let me make it clear: this resolution is a manifest injustice against my country, the main victim of a clear act of aggression,” he said.  'Biased and one-sided' The war began on 28 February after the US and Israel launched strikes across Iran, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior officials and many civilians.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iran has responded by launching drone and missile attacks on Israel, as well as every country in the Gulf.  "Iran's strategy of sowing chaos, of trying to hold their neighbours hostage, trying to shake the resolve of the region, has clearly backfired, as shown by this vote today," said the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz. US has ‘no plan’ for Iran war and Strait of Hormuz, senators say after briefing Read More » Beijing said that the US and Israel launched strikes without Security Council authorisation and must cease their actions immediately.  While stressing that the sovereignty and security of Gulf states must be respected, Fu Cong, China’s representative, said the text “does not fully reflect the root cause and overall picture of the conflict in a balanced manner”. Vasily Nebenzya, Moscow’s representative, said the resolution was “biased and one-sided”.  “The Council’s adoption could be interpreted by bad-faith actors, and first and foremost by those who started this war, to continue their acts of aggression against Iran,” he warned. Nebenzya then introduced a separate draft, which he said was an “impartial document aimed at urgently de-escalating the situation”. He said the text intentionally did not mention the names of any parties to the conflict.  The Russian draft was rejected by a vote of four in favour (China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia) to two against (Latvia and the US), with nine abstentions (Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Greece, Liberia, Panama and the UK). War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

It came as oil prices lifted higher again on Thursday as Iran continued to strike key energy and shipping infrastructure in the Middle East.

Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks

Iran continues to claim attacks on commercial ships and lay mines in an effort to squeeze international energy markets and pile pressure onto the US

Thailand seeks apology from Iran after vessel hit in Strait of Hormuz Thailand's foreign ministry has demanded an apology from Iran over damage caused to a Thai vessel that was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, which led to a fire and forced the crew to abandon ship. The ministry said it was seeking clarity from Iran's ambassador on Thursday on the facts surrounding the incident. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency that the ship was "fired upon by Iranian fighters".

Projectile fragments hit Hapag-Lloyd container vessel near Strait of Hormuz  Reuters