News

Oil prices back near $100 as Strait of Hormuz blockade carries on  Yahoo Finance

Strategic Strait of Hormuz at the heart of conflicts over the years  France 24

In 1st statement, Iran's new supreme leader says Strait of Hormuz should be closed as leverage, vows to keep up attacks on Gulf  The Times of Israel

Iran’s supreme leader says closure of Strait of Hormuz should be used as leverage  AP News

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 Latest: Iran's supreme leader says closure of Strait of Hormuz should be used as leverage  Yakima Herald-Republic

Middle East war live: Mojtaba Khamenei calls for Strait of Hormuz to ‘remain closed’  Financial Times

Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as 'tool to pressure enemy,' Iran's new supreme leader says  CNBC

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.

Trump says Strait of Hormuz in ‘great shape’ after ships targeted  The Hill

Iran’s New Supreme Leader Says Hormuz Strait Should Stay Closed  Bloomberg

At least 19 commercial ships around the region had been damaged in the war as of Thursday

JPMorgan says go long energy stocks, short the market until Strait of Hormuz reopens  CNBC

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.

Brent crude oil tops $100 on concerns over Iran attacks on shipping  The Hill

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.

Oil tankers burn as Iran's new leader vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed  ABC News