Middle East Weekend Recap: Strait of Hormuz: Open, Then Closed Again
By Sammy,
Iran briefly declared the strait open, and vessel-tracking data confirmed a convoy of tankers transited it for the first time in seven weeks. Hours later, after Washington said its blockade would stay in place, Iran's joint military command announced that "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state under strict management and control of the armed forces." Iran's parliament speaker warned that "with the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," adding that passage would depend on authorization from Iran. Iran's navy commander Shahram Irani called the US blockade "empty words" and denounced it as "piracy and maritime theft," claiming Trump "has blockaded his friends" not Iran. Iran's deputy foreign minister added that "Americans cannot impose their will to do a siege over Iran while Iran, with good intention, is trying to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz." Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei said the blockade was a violation of the ceasefire agreement, warning that if the US violated its commitments, Iran "will take the necessary reciprocal measures" and that "no leniency will be shown in this regard." Iran's Supreme National Security Council separately said it would maintain full control over traffic through the strait until "the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region," and that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls. At least three commercial ships were subsequently attacked, including two Indian-flagged crude carriers, prompting New Delhi to summon Tehran's ambassador. A UK maritime agency reported a separate tanker fired upon by IRGC-linked gunboats near Oman. Shipping giant Maersk said any decision to transit would depend on risk assessments, and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said "we don't yet have normal passage through the strait" and called restoring it urgent for the global economy.
US-Iran Diplomacy: No Deal Yet
Pakistan's army chief completed a three-day visit to Tehran presenting new US proposals, which Iran said were still under review. A second round of talks had been reported as planned for Islamabad on Monday, but Iranian sources denied any agreement to meet. Iran's deputy foreign minister said "we don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is due to failure which can be pretext for another round of escalation," adding that no date could be set until both sides agreed on a framework. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said further talks would require the US to abandon "excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground." A senior Iranian official told Reuters that "no agreement has been reached on the details of the nuclear issues," and that Tehran hoped a preliminary agreement could be reached through Pakistan's mediation, with the possibility of extending the ceasefire to "create space for more talks on lifting sanctions on Iran and securing compensation for war damages." In exchange, Iran would provide assurances about the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. Trump, for his part, told reporters that dialogue with Iran was "working out really well" and that he would have information "by the end of the day."
Uranium Dispute
Trump stated Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, saying "we're going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators, we're going to take it back home to the USA very soon," adding that no money would change hands as part of any deal. Iran's foreign ministry flatly denied this, saying the stockpile would not be transferred "under any circumstances." Iran's parliament speaker said Trump had made seven different claims about the war within an hour, calling them all false, adding that the US "did not win the war with these lies, and they certainly will not get them anywhere in negotiations either."
Trump on Xi and the Strait
Trump posted on Truth Social that "President Xi is very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening," and said his upcoming meeting with Xi in China would be "potentially Historic," adding "much will be accomplished."
US Naval Posture
The USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Red Sea, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, with a third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, heading toward the region from off the coast of South Africa. The US military reported turning back 23 ships attempting to reach Iranian ports since the blockade began. Washington sanctioned seven senior commanders of Iran-linked Iraqi militia groups, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying "we will not allow Iraq's terrorist militias, backed by Iran, to threaten American lives or interests. Those who enable these militias' violence will be held accountable." The US military was also reported to be preparing to board and seize Iran-linked tankers in international waters globally, expanding the campaign beyond the Persian Gulf.
Iran's Airspace and Supreme Leader
Iran partially reopened its eastern airspace to international flights, though flight trackers showed few planes using it hours later. A statement attributed to Supreme Leader Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since before the war, said Iran's "brave navy stands ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."
Lebanon Ceasefire
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect Thursday night. Just minutes before it did, an elite IDF unit seized a strategic ridge several kilometers north of Mount Hermon in a last-minute operation. Over the weekend, Lebanese President Aoun told the nation that "we are no longer a pawn in anyone's game, nor an arena for anyone's wars, and we never will be again," and said direct talks with Israel were "not a sign of weakness nor a concession," adding that any future deal would not cede territory or undermine Lebanon's national rights. He and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met to discuss preparations for the negotiations. A senior Hezbollah official dismissed those talks as "a failure, weak, defeated and submissive negotiations," saying "we are the ones who draw up the decisions." Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, notably condemned the UNIFIL attack and praised the peacekeeping force's decades of sacrifice. The IDF conducted several strikes in southern Lebanon after the truce began, saying troops identified armed individuals who "approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat," and separately struck a Hezbollah tunnel shaft after identifying members entering it. The IDF said "actions of self-defense and the removal of threats are not limited by the ceasefire." One French UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed and three wounded in a southern Lebanon attack that France and UNIFIL attributed to Hezbollah, which denied involvement and called for "caution in issuing judgments." Lebanese authorities condemned the attack and vowed to prosecute those responsible.
Gaza
IDF reservists of the Negev Brigade said they "identified a terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line and approached the troops in a manner that posed an immediate threat" in the southern Gaza Strip and shot him dead.
West Bank
A terrorist infiltration alert was issued in the South Hebron Hills settlement of Negohot after an armed terrorist crossed into the community. He was shot dead by troops. The IDF subsequently raided his home village, detained his brother, and said they found a makeshift firearm and equipment with which he "planned to carry out acts of terror against Israeli civilians and IDF troops."
Kurdish Opposition Attacked
Drone and missile strikes in Iraq's Kurdistan region killed three Iranian Kurdish opposition fighters, including two women. The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan said Iran had "launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes targeting civilian camps."
Regional Diplomacy
US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Syria's new government had "said time and time again that there are no issues with Israel," and predicted a non-aggression and normalization agreement between the two countries would come "sooner than Lebanon." He explained Israel's rationale for its Syria incursions by saying Prime Minister Netanyahu "no longer cares about borders when taking steps he believes are necessary to protect Israel" after October 7, while praising the Syrian government for being "brilliant at not engaging adversarially against Israel." On Turkey's role in Gaza diplomacy, Barrack said Trump called President Erdogan hours before the Gaza ceasefire was reached, requesting his help, and that "it could have never happened had they agreed with us that Hamas was a foreign terrorist organization." He pushed back on Israeli opposition to Turkish troops joining a stabilization force in Gaza, arguing that "inclusion is the only answer. Exclusion is short-term." Addressing broader tensions, Barrack said "the world is not antisemitic," adding that "Zionism was a question as to a definition. But the strategic future of it cannot be this harsh," and lamented the "horrible rhetoric" being exchanged between Israel and Turkey. Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were reported to be coordinating a broader regional framework aimed at preventing renewed escalation, stabilizing energy markets, and laying the groundwork for a post-war security arrangement.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.