Blast Rocks Tehran After Israeli Threat
Turkey Talking To US, Iran In Bid To End War : Turkey minister
Ankara :Turkey is talking to both Washington and Tehran in a bid to end the ongoing war in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday
"We are at a time when we need negotiation and dialogue more than ever.. We are talking to the Iranian side, and we are talking to the American side," he said: "This war should end as soon as possible."
US Military 'Not Ready' To Escort Tankers Through Hormuz Strait: Energy Secretary
Washington : 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.
"It'll happen relatively soon, but it can't happen now. We're simply not ready," Wright told CNBC. "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 it was "quite likely" such escorts would be taking place by the end of the month.
As Iran launches a new wave of attacks against Gulf energy targets, the International Energy Agency said the war "is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market".
US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets -- including energy infrastructure -- have also disrupted supplies.
IEA member countries have agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves -- their largest release ever.
The United States will be releasing 172 million barrels, Wright said, under a swap arrangement that would see 200 million barrels flow back to its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
However the move was unable to overcome fears about the choking of energy supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude passes -- effectively shut down.
Wright said he had meetings at the Pentagon on Thursday to discuss possible US Navy escorts for tankers.
Egyptian, Gulf Ministers Say Everyone Will Lose As War Drags On
Egypt’s foreign minister held phone calls with his Qatari, Emirati, Bahraini, Omani and German counterparts and they agreed that only diplomacy can end the war in the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also welcomed on Thursday the U.N. Security Council resolution that demands Iran halt its attacks on its Gulf neighbors.
Egypt, the most populous Arab country, said it was working with relevant parties to de-escalate tensions as the war has already had a severe impact on its economy. The ministers agreed that “everyone would lose” if the escalation persisted.
Key Oil Price Spikes Over $100 As Iranian Attacks Hit Shipping
The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked back over $100 as Iranian strikes hit ships and the American-Israeli war with Iran showed no signs of slowing.
Thursday’s major developments include Iran's attacks against commercial ships around the Strait of Hormuz and Iraq's port of Basra, escalating its defense strategy of squeezing the oil-rich Gulf region to threaten global economic stability after 13 days of U.S. airstrikes. The Israeli military also is striking Iran and moving troops to fight Iran's militant ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than 800,000 people have been displaced by the fighting .
Greece imposes price controls on fuel and household staples The emergency controls Thursday are in response to global market turmoil caused by the war. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said the measures take immediate effect through June 30, capping profit margins mostly at 2025 levels.
The controls affect retail and business sales of gasoline and diesel, as well as a list of household products including food, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items.
Iran's New Supreme Leader To Issue First Message: Official Telegram Channel
Tehran : Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei will issue his first message since his appointment "in a few moments", his official Telegram channel said, without specifying if it will be a recorded message or written statement.
"The first message of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, will be released in a few moments," the channel said.
The message will address "the martyred leader of the revolution (Ali Khamenei), the role and duties of the people, the armed forces, executive bodies, the resistance front, as well as the countries of the region and dealing with enemies."
Ships Identify Themselves As Chinese Around Strait of Hormuz To Avoid Attacks
Hong Kong : Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators apparently try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks.
At least eight vessels in or near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman changed their declared destination signals to short messages such as "CHINA OWNER" or "CHINA OWNER & CREW," according to data on the ship tracking platform Marine Traffic analysed by The Associated Press.
"The main goal of vessels publicly identifying themselves as Chinese' while transiting the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz is primarily to reduce the risk of being attacked rather than to facilitate passage through the strait itself," said Ana Subasic, a trade risk analyst at data and analytics firm Kpler, which owns MarineTraffic.
Some of the vessels passed through the strait and headed for their destinations. Others were still in the area.
Iran and affiliated groups have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China, Subasic said, given China's relatively neutral stance and stronger economic ties with Iran.
"The message is more like do not mistake me for the kind of ship you said you would hit,'" said Kun Cao, client director at consulting firm Reddal.
Iranian attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and the wider region have particularly raised concerns among shippers. At least 19 commercial ships around the region had been damaged in the war as of Thursday.
Most of the eight vessels identified by Marine Traffic were not China flagged. Their flag states included Panama and the Marshall Islands, although Reddal's Cao noted that a vessel's flag often "has little to do with the ship owner's nationality" in commercial shipping.
While many bulk carriers have strong links with China in terms of ownership, operation and cargo, the actual effectiveness of declaring themselves as China-linked in avoiding attacks is unclear, said Rico Luman, a senior economist at the Dutch bank ING who focuses on transport and logistics.
Destination signals are short notes or messages manually entered by a ship's crew into a vessel's transponder, a global positioning system locator, and broadcast publicly, Subasic said. They typically show the ship's intended next port and are usually intended to help with navigation safety, traffic awareness and port planning.
Because destination signals are not strictly verified in real time, "some vessels occasionally use it to display additional information or signals, such as references to ownership or nationality," she said.
During earlier Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, some vessels adopted a similar approach by declaring themselves or their crew as having links to China, which appeared as an effort to try to reduce risks of attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said the missile was intercepted on Thursday.
Northern Israel residents reeling after Hezbollah assault
Hezbollah launched some 200 rockets at Israel’s north and deeper into the country overnight, the Israeli military says.
Many rockets were intercepted and no serious injuries were reported.
Sirens started blaring Wednesday evening across the north and continued almost nonstop for hours, warning of incoming attacks from Lebanon and Iran.
Israel says it has struck Iranian 'nuclear weapon development compound'
International media has reported that Israel has claimed that it has struck Iranian 'nuclear weapon development compound' in "the past days".
Zelenskyy says Ukraine seeking drone agreement with US
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine seeks to sign a major agreement with the United States on drone production but requires White House approval.
The deal would cover various types of drones and air defense systems operating as a single system capable of protecting against hundreds or even thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said on Telegram Thursday.