27 Posts
• Kushner meetings:US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law held rare talks with Hamas’ leader in Egypt as he works to advance a Gaza ceasefire plan rejected by Israel,ation’s Middle East diplomacy, is also expected to meet Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
• Around the region:While there’s been a pause in strikes between the US and Iran, conflicts involving Iranian-backed militant groups continue. Yemen’s military ramped up its campaign against the Houthi rebels, who have attacked shipping hubs and US allies. And the Israeli military has launched deadly strikes in Lebanon after saying a Hezbollah attack wounded three of its soldiers
• Joint exercises:Meanwhile, Trump has announced plans to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s lack of assistance in his conflict with Iran
A U.S Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter transports a M777 howitzer during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, on March 19, 2023.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday the United States would reduce military exercises with South Korea, citing his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s lack of assistance with his Iran conflict
Joint exercises with South Korea began on Monday as scheduled, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told CNN.What is less clear currently is whether the exercises have been suddenly pared down or not in light of Trump’s sudden announcement
The US president has frequently lashed out at allies that have not helped in the war. He also has had a warm relationship with Kim despite North Korea being a longtime adversary of the US
During Trump’s first term, the US and South Korea also scaled back joint operations as part of an effort to ease tensions with North Korea
More headlines:
Defense pact: Trump praised a mutual defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, calling it an “important first step.” The three US allies signed the NATO-style mutual defense pact last week, consolidating their long-standing security ties into a collective-defense alliance that stipulates an attack against any of them “shall be regarded as attack on them all.”
USS Abraham Lincoln:Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who served in the US Army, slammed Trump’s response to reports of poor conditions and low morale on the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying it “pisses me off.” Trump had dismissed claims that families of service members aboard theaircraft carrierhave concerns about conditions
Oil prices:Oil futures were flat on Sunday amid stalled US-Iran talks over fully reopening shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. US gas prices have remained above $4 while stock futures were also flat
Shipping traffic: In the Strait of Hormuz, there were no notable ship movements in the past 24 hours And on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, at least 40 vessels transited the waterway. This is down from the 2023 peak of 72 ships a day
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Julia Benbrook, Auzinea Bacon and Lisa Wong contributed reporting
From left, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 7.
President Donald Trump on Sunday praised a mutual defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, calling it an “important first step.”
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” Trump wrote on social media. “It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way.”
The three US allies signed the NATO-style mutual defense pact last week, consolidating their long-standing security ties into a collective-defense alliance that stipulates an attack against any of them “shall be regarded as attack on them all.”
The agreement, which comes as Saudi Arabia faces threats on multiple fronts, was signed in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city
Donald Trump walks to board boards Air Force One at Morristown Airport, on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would reduce military exercises it conducts with key regional ally South Korea, citing his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s lack of assistance with Iran
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump went on to raise the Iran war and his request for South Korea to help
“While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump wrote
Trump has had a warm relationship with the North Korean leader despite it being a longtime adversary of the United States. Earlier this weekend, he posted a picture of himself and Kim, with the caption: “Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling, Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!”
The joint exercises with South Korea, called Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills, were set to begin August 17 and go for 10 days
North Korea has long criticized such exercises, with its Central Military Commission calling trilateral exercises last year with Japan and South Korea “the most comprehensive and offensive war drill for aggression in terms of scale, content and nature” that has been conducted on the southern Korean Peninsula
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who served in the US Army, told CNN today that President Donald Trump’s response to reports of poor conditions and low morale on the USS Abraham Lincoln “pisses me off.”
Gov. Moore on Trump’s comments about USS Abraham Lincoln: ‘It pisses me off’
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined CNN’s “State of the Union” and sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of concerns involving deployed US service members, saying America’s military deserves missions that are clear, understandable and winnable
1:10• Source:
CNN
Gov. Moore on Trump’s comments about USS Abraham Lincoln: ‘It pisses me off’
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More background:Trump on Friday dismissed claims that families of service members aboard the Lincoln have concerns about conditions and said the aircraft carrier’s eight-and-a-half months at sea was “not nearly long enough.”
US Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln this weekend amid rising concerns over the mental health of crew members due to the ship’s long deployment
He asserted in a statement Sunday that the Lincoln “currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health” out of the Navy’s 11 active carriers
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Charlotte Reck, Davis Winkie, Pamela Brown and Haley Britzky contributed reporting
US envoy Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, held rare talks with Hamas’ leaders in Egypt earlier Sunday
Meanwhile, there’s a pause in direct fighting between the US and Tehran — but conflicts involving Iran-backed militant groups continue in the region
Here’s the latest:
- The talks between Kushner and Hamas were held in El Alamein, Egypt, and also included Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov. They came as mediators seek to revive Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, which was rejected by Israel last week. No immediate details on the outcome of the meeting were released.
- The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the roadmap linked to Trump’s Gaza plan.
- Kushner also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The two discussed Gaza and efforts to promote stability in the wider region, Sisi’s office said.
- Yemen’s military has ramped up its campaign against the Houthi rebels, who have attacked shipping hubs and US allies in recent weeks.
- The Israeli military said it killed a senior Hezbollah commanderon Sunday, a day after its forces launched deadly strikes in southern Lebanon.Israel said the strikes were in response to a Hezbollah attack that wounded three of its soldiers.
- US Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper said the USS Abraham Lincoln “currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health” of the Navy’s 11 active carriers. The Navy faces growing scrutiny over reports of low morale during the crew’s long deployment, and Cooper visited the carrier this weekend.
CNN’s Julia Benbrook, Oren Liebermann, Jennifer Hansler, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Ibrahim Dahman, Tim Lister, Charlotte Reck, Chris Lau, Xiaoqian Lin and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report
Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3.
A day after visiting the USS Abraham Lincoln amid concerns over low morale, US Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper asserted in a statement Sunday that the aircraft carrier “currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health” out of the Navy’s 11 active carriers
The commander visited the Lincoln during a 10-day trip to the Middle East amid rising concerns over the mental health of crew members, including suicide ideation, during a deployment that has lasted nearly nine months
“I’ve long believed that mental health is another aspect of individual health and requires our attention just like physical health and spiritual health,” Cooper said
He told the sailors and Marines aboard the ship to “keep up the great work and fair winds and following seas on the journey home.”
The aircraft carrier reached the Middle East in January and has since supported the US war against Iran, including the blockade on Iranian ports. Its combat efforts have prevented it from making stops at friendly ports, where deployed vessels can typically renew supplies and sailors can rest
The meeting between US envoy Jared Kushner and Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has concluded
The talks, held in El Alamein, Egypt, also included Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov and came as mediators seek to revive President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, which was rejected by Israel last week
No immediate details on the outcome of the meeting were released. Kushner has also held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and is expected to hold consultations with more regional leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as efforts continue to bridge differences over the proposed ceasefire and post-war framework for Gaza
The meeting marked a rare direct engagement between a senior US envoy and Hamas leadership and comes amid growing diplomatic efforts to salvage the US-backed plan following Netanyahu’s rejection of key elements of the proposal
Meanwhile on Sunday the foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the roadmap linked to Trump’s peace plan. The ministers warned that rejecting the framework could undermine efforts to end the war and achieve a lasting political settlement
Jared Kushner attends a meeting between the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar in Switzerland on June 21.
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, is expected to meet with the leader of Hamas for talks in Egypt today, according to a
Kushner last met with group’s new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, in October to finalize an earlier ceasefire agreement that led to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza
He served as a chief Middle East negotiator in Trump’s first presidential term and built deep relationships with leaders in the region, having informally advised administration officials on negotiations with Arab leaders, Trump administration officials and people close to Kushner told CNN last year
Kushner helped lead Trump administration policies on the Middle East, including the Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states
After leaving the White House in 2021, Kushner launched a private equity firm, Affinity Partners, which received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have also invested large amounts into his firm
Kushner has previously denied these investments are a conflict of interest. In an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” last year, Kushner said: “What people call conflicts of interests, Steve (Witkoff) and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discusses developments in the Middle East and the implementation of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip with Jared Kushner in El Alamein, Egypt, on August 16.
Hamas’ leader is set to meet US envoy Jared Kushner for talks in Egypt, according to aGaza ceasefire plan rejected by Israel
The group’s new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, was scheduled to meet with Kushner and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov in El Alamein, Egypt, on Sunday. Kushner is reported to have only met Hamas officials directly once before
In October last year, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law met with al-Hayya to finalize an earlier ceasefire agreement that led to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza
Meetings with other key leaders:While in Egypt, Kushner also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, where the two discussed “the need for all parties to fulfill their obligations under the agreement to stop the war in the Gaza Strip,” according to Sisi’s office
A USd the administration’s goals in the Middle East
Kushner and Mladenov are also expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Monday, according to a diplomatic source
On Friday, an official with the Board of Peace — the US-backed body tasked with securing long-term peace in Gaza — said the goal of the meetings was to “concretize” the next steps of a new ceasefire plan
The big picture:Trump announced a new 15-point Gaza peace plan at the end of last month, which called for a series of sequenced steps to halt regular Israeli attacks in Gaza, disarm Hamas, and lead to the withdrawal of the Israeli military
But after more than a week of silence, Netanyahu publicly rejected the deal and insisted the Israeli military would not withdraw until Hamas was completely disarmed. Hamas agreed to a disarmament plan but warned it could only happen if Israel upheld its obligations under the previous ceasefire agreement
Major progress on the ceasefire plan has proven difficult, especially against a backdrop of an upcoming election in Israel in which Netanyahu is unlikely to make serious concessions on Gaza
Ibrahim Dahman contributed reporting to this post
Yemen’s internationally recognized government has carried out more than 180 attacks on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the past 24 hours, it said earlier today, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to expand
Here’s the latest from the region:
- The chief of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a recent trip to the Middle East, amid rising concerns over the mental health of crew members due to the ship’s long deployment.
- The Israeli military said it killed a senior Hezbollah commander named Abu Hassan Alaa, a day after Israeli forces launched deadly strikes in southern Lebanon.
- An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, who Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media. Qatar has denied the Iranian allegations.
CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman, Tim Lister, Charlotte Reck, Chris Lau and Xiaoqian Lin contributed to this reporting
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are seen from Musandam, Oman, on August 3.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a crucial bargaining chip throughout the US-Israeli war with Iran. It’s been effectively closed by Iran since the fighting began in late February
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after “we finish defeating Iran,” which he claimed would happen “pretty soon.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said later that the waterway “cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or a campaign speech.”
The Strait of Hormuz, passing between Iran and Oman, serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, used to flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” According to the EIA, “very few alternative options exist to move oil out of the strait if it is closed.”
The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas
Energy analysts have warned that oil and natural gas prices are likely to remain elevated until the strait is passable, even as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seek to expand other routes to get their crude to market
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on July 31.
US Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a recent trip to the Middle East that comes amid rising concerns over the mental health of crew members due to the ship’s long deployment
“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said of the aircraft carrier in a Saturday statement released by the US military
Cooper also thanked the Lincoln crew for their “tremendous dedication and courage,” the statement added
The aircraft carrier reached the Middle East in January and has since supported the US war against Iran including the blockade on Iranian ports. Its combat efforts have prevented it from making stops at friendly ports, where deployed vessels can typically renew supplies and sailors can rest
The US Navy has increasingly had its aircraft carrier groups exceed the service’s recommended deployment duration of seven months, according to a CNN analysis of deployment announcements and the USNI News fleet tracker
Reports from the Lincoln of low morale have worried families at home who question why action has not been taken sooner
Cooper’s visit aboard the Lincoln was his second of the year, having previously visited the aircraft carrier in February with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner
The commander’s latest visit came during a 10-day trip to the Middle East where he met with senior civilian and military leaders in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
CNN’s Davis Winkie, Pamela Brown and Haley Britzky contributed reporting
The armed forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said a short while ago that it has carried out 181 attacks on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the past 24 hours, claiming that dozens of Houthi militants had been killed or wounded
Both the Yemeni government and the Houthis have reported clashes and drone strikes in recent weeks, as tensions between the two have ramped up
Here’s a closer look at the Houthis:
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), is one side of the Yemeni civil war. It emerged in the 1990s, when its leader, Hussein al-Houthi, launched “Believing Youth,” a religious revival movement for a centuries-old subsect of Shia Islam called Zaidism
The Zaidis ruled Yemen for centuries but were marginalized under the Sunni regime that came to power after the 1962 civil war. Al-Houthi’s movement was founded to represent Zaidis and resist radical Sunnism, particularly Wahhabi ideas from Saudi Arabia. His closest followers became known as Houthis
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when Houthi forces stormed the capital Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognized and Saudi-backed government. The conflict spiraled into a wider war in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in an attempt to beat back the Houthis
Nowadays, Sanaa is still under Houthi control, alongside much of the west of the country
The Houthis are backed by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war escalated and as its rivalry with Saudi Arabia intensified. Iran has provided the group with weapons and technology for, among other things, sea mines, ballistic and cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Houthis form part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” – an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias backed by the Islamic Republic
American officials have been tracking iterative improvements in the range, accuracy and lethality of the Houthis’ domestically produced missiles. Initially, home-grown Houthi weapons were largely assembled with Iranian components smuggled into Yemen in pieces, an official familiar with US intelligence told CNN previously
They have previously used drones and anti-ship missiles to target commercial ships – some of which aren’t believed to be linked to Israel – prompting the USS Carney, a warship in the Red Sea, to respond to distress calls
CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister contributed to this reporting
The armed forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government say they have carried out nearly 200 attacks on the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in the past 24 hours
Yemen’s military launched “181 military operations in the past 24 hours, using drones, artillery, and rocket launchers” according to spokesman Col. Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili
Al-Nuzaili claimed that dozens of Houthi militants had been killed or wounded
CNN is unable to verify many of the claims made by either side, but the conflict has flared up in recent weeks after the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea
Saudi Arabia is the main backer of Yemeni government forces
Both the government and the Houthis have reported clashes and drone strikes along many parts of the frontlines, which stretch several hundred miles from the Red Sea coast to Yemen’s border with Oman
Analysts say the Houthis appear to be mobilizing for an offensive that would aim to take more of the Red Sea coastline
It is getting harder to estimate the volume of shipping using the key Strait of Hormuz, as more vessels pass through with trackers off and ship-to-ship transfers disguise the amount of oil reaching global markets, analysts say
Traffic through the waterway remains low and although Iran and Oman are negotiating over the waterway, there are no immediate signs of a deal
The number of ships known to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz varies from a couple to about a dozen on a daily basis. Not all are tankers; many operators are still deterred from using the strait because of sporadic Iranian drone attacks
Thirteen vessels transited on Thursday, according to maritime intelligence group Windward, with four of those inbound and nine outbound. Of the outbound traffic, four vessels — including a tanker laden with 2 million barrels of Saudi crude – sailed with their satellite trackers off
On Friday, shipping data showed no visible crude-oil tanker transits
That same day, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that between 8 and 9 million barrels a day were getting through Hormuz on a running average. Wright said the US had access to information that tracking agencies lacked
More context:Many tankers and freighters with Saudi connections are avoiding both Hormuz and the Bab al Mandeb waterway at the southern end to the Red Sea, where the Iranian-backed Houthi militants have warned they will attack Saudi vessels
Iran’s oil exports have been severely limited by the US naval blockade
For the first time in almost a month, a large tanker last week began loading crude at the western terminal of Iran’s main export hub Kharg Island, Windward said. More than a dozen other tankers remain anchored in the area
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that the lack of oil exports was hitting the state’s revenues
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, on August 10.
US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after “we finish defeating Iran,” prompting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi to say that the waterway “cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or a campaign speech.”
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of frequent clashes between Tehran and Washington since the start of the war itself
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June, where they agreed to pause fighting while they negotiated a lasting end to the conflict, but this broke down following a series of disputes related to the waterway
Here’s a look back at how fighting resumed last month:
- July 1:US and Iranian negotiators travel to Doha, Qatar, for indirect negotiations. The delegations make “positive progress,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari says.
- July 7: Iran fires on three commercial vessels in Oman’s territorial waters near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official. US Central Command says it launched strikes against Iran as “punishment.”
- July 8: Iran warns it will deliver a “crushing response” to the US strikes, and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has launched attacks at 85 US military targets across Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump castigates Iran as “evil, sick people” at the NATO summit in Turkey, saying the memorandum of understanding “is over.” Hours later, the US launches more strikes against Iran.
- July 9: Tehran says the US military has struck a railway bridge in northern Iran. CENTCOM says the US has hit around 90 military targets in another round of strikes. A US official tells CNN that both countries are continuing to engage in technical negotiations on nuclear issues.
- July 10:Trump says the US has agreed to continue talks with Iran, but also that Washington has informed Tehran the ceasefire is no longer in effect. Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Tehran is prepared for “all-out defense” if the US breaks the agreement. The Trump administration imposes fresh sanctions on Tehran.
- July 11:Iran’s foreign minister accuses the US of violating a clause on Tehran’s nuclear program in their agreement.
- July 12: The IRGC announces it has closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing a warning shot at a vessel attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway. The US military launches more strikeson Iran, and insists that the strait is still open.
- July 13: US attacks across Iran continue into the afternoon, killing at least two people, Iranian media reports. Trump says he will reinstate a blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US carries out more strikes on Iran overnight.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Hira Humayan, Pamela Brown, Lex Harvey, Zachery Cohen, Jessie Yeung, Kevin Liptak, David Winkie, Isaac Yee, Clay Voytek, Betsy Klein, Aida Karimi, Lauren Kent, Jennifer Hansler, Rhea Mogul, Dalia Abdelwahab, Aleena Fayaz, Izzy Lippolis, Aileen Graef and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this post
An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran, on May 16.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory after “we finish defeating Iran,” which he said would happen “pretty soon.”
The waterway has been effectively closed by Iran since the US and Israel began the war in February. Earlier this month, Tehran said it wouldn’t reopen the strait fully until the US meets its conditions
Despite this, Trump has repeatedly insisted the strait — through which oil flows from countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq to the rest of the world — is under US control
Responding to Trump’s apparent claim to the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that the waterway “cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order, or a campaign speech.”
“Iran neither fears threats nor is intimidated by displays of force,” Gharibabadi said
CNN’s Julia Benbrook, Aida Karimi and Mitchell McCluskey contributed to this reporting
Vice President JD Vance discusses anti-fraud initiatives during a visit to Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee on July 8.
One of the Trump administration’s biggest problems in extracting itself from the Iran war is the list of very absolutist goals that President Donald Trump and his team laid out
The goals have included complete Iranian surrender, regime change, Iran never getting a nuclear weapon and ending Tehran’s support for its Middle East proxy groups like Hezbollah
As the war — now in its sixth month — has dragged on, this list of goals has conspicuously shifted and been pared back. And Vice President JD Vance appears to have pared it back recently in a remarkable way, offering the latest indication that the administration might be preparing to settle for less — maybe even a lot less
Appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Vance was asked how the war might end. And he laid out two goals
“It’s ensuring that the Gulf countries continue to send oil and gas to the world economy so that we have energy price stability,” he said, adding: “That’s goal number one: Keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country
“And then, obviously, goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
This is not the administration’s old list of goals — and the order Vance placed them in is striking
When asked about Vance’s comments on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained that “both goals are equally as important to the president.”
The administration has almost always characterized Iran never getting a nuclear weapon as the overriding concern
And even if the goals are truly equal in the administration’s mind, including oil and gas prices at all — and not other items — is a notable shift
An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media
A team of Iranian air force experts have been waiting for months to enter Qatar and conduct a field investigation, the Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported military commander Seyed Mohammad Bagherzadeh as saying today
Due to “obstruction and delaying tactics by Qatari officials,” the pilots have not been able to return, he claimed. Bagherzadeh also said the Qatari government should allow an expert team to travel to the country, Tasnim reported
Bagherzadeh, who leads Iran’s armed forces’ missing persons search committee, earlier claimed thatQatar had held the three crew members for months after their planes were shot down early in the war
Qatar has denied holding the pilots. Its foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari previously said Qatari rescue teams searched for their remains and spoke to Iran to coordinate the handover of one of their bodies
Ansari said Qatar had invited Iran to be briefed on the details of the operations in April but didn’t receive a response
Mostafa Salem and Valey Arya contributed reporting
