CNN: The US and Iran will “stand down for now,” and talks remain “on track”, two US officials have said, after both sides traded fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s position is on the matter is currently unclear. The recent military action tested an initial agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities during 60 days of negotiations.
Strait of Hormuz: Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains a fraction of pre-war levels, data shows, with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take. Iran’s foreign minister has said the waterway will remain under Tehran’s “exclusive management.”…
Mediators set up de-escalation channels ahead of US-Iran talks, source says
Mediators have established communications channels to de-escalate any incidents, and technical talks are set to continue, the source, with knowledge of the discussions, added. However, a senior Iranian official was reported as saying technical meetings were not confirmed…
Iran Risks Peace Talks With U.S. to Maintain Leverage Over Strait
Iran sees its control over the Strait of Hormuz as critical leverage in peace talks with the United States. It seems willing to risk the cease-fire to maintain that power…
How Israel and Iran Are Fracturing Both Parties in the Midterms
Bitter foreign policy debates over Israel and Iran are fracturing the Democratic and Republican parties, creating powerful wedge issues that are reshaping the battle for control of Congress this year and could affect the 2028 presidential election…
Senior Lebanese official slams US-brokered deal with Israel, warns of divisions
In comments to Lebanon’s al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri described Iran-U.S. negotiations as the only realistic opportunity to secure Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and that any attempt to separate Lebanon from the U.S.-Iran track would prolong Israeli occupation…
Shattered tiles, trembling domes: An inside look at how the war has damaged Iran’s historic sites
China Emerges as a Relative Winner From Strait of Hormuz Crisis
The reason: China’s oil and gas reserves and clean energy supplies have allowed it to avoid the worst of the effects, according to an analysis published Monday by the Asia Group, a Washington-based consulting firm. That is reinforcing the country’s position as a competitive place for manufacturing…