Iran’s president says his country is ready to return to the ceasefire deal agreed to with the United States in June so long as Washington follows suit. The conciliatory remarks that came after the first exchange of fire between the two countries in a month. Meantime, two more ships were attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the continued danger to vessels attempting to transit as Iran keeps its stranglehold on the waterway and the U.S. blockades Iran's ports.
Israeli settlers have killed a Palestinian teenager after a rock-throwing incident in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports 17-year-old Karim Sanad Raja Shalaldeh died on Friday in Sa’ir, north of Hebron. The Israeli military says soldiers were dispatched after Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli civilians. Meanwhile, Turkey is seeking an international warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in Israel's interception of boats trying to break a naval blockade of Gaza in May. And an Israeli rights group warned Israeli settler violence is moving into Palestinian cities and towns.
U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insists the Strait of Hormuz remains open. This comes after a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway and as Iran and Oman say they are close to a deal to reopen the waterway. Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this week as the country tried to reach a deal. Iran says the waterway will not reopen until the U.S. meets its conditions. Shipping data platform Kpler says transits fell nearly 20% through the Strait of Hormuz last week.
Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, right, holds the Pennsylvania Cross for Valor in his hand, that he has just pinned on the blouse of U.S. Marine Sgt. Kenneth Kraus of Landsdale, Pa., during ceremonies in the State Capitol at Harrisburg, Pa., Mar. 6, 1979. Kraus was honored for valor while serving with the security detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, while the building was under siege during an uprising in the country. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis)
Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, right, holds the Pennsylvania Cross for Valor in his hand, that he has just pinned on the blouse of U.S. Marine Sgt. Kenneth Kraus of Landsdale, Pa., during ceremonies in the State Capitol at Harrisburg, Pa., Mar. 6, 1979. Kraus was honored for valor while serving with the security detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, while the building was under siege during an uprising in the country. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis)
Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, right, shakes hands with U.S. Marine Sgt. Kenneth Kraus of Landsdale, Pa., after he pinned the Pennsylvania Cross for Valor onto his blouse, during ceremonies in the State Capitol at Harrisburg, Pa., Mar. 6, 1979. Kraus was honored for valor while serving with the security detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, while the building was under siege during an uprising in the country. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis)
The United Arab Emirates has blamed Iran for firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks, described as acts of piracy, caused no casualties but highlighted the dangers in this critical waterway. The UAE's Foreign Ministry called on Friday the attacks a violation of the United Nations' principles of freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, activists marched through the occupied West Bank to bring food and water to Palestinians under siege by Israeli settlers. In Yemen, the military claimed to have thwarted Houthi attacks amid ongoing fighting.
Israeli settlers have besieged three homes in the occupied West Bank, including one owned by a Palestinian American, for several days. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee on Thursday referred to the settlers as “terrorists.” It was an unusually sharp rebuke from the Trump administration, which has signaled broad acceptance of Israeli settlements over the years while condemning violence. Mounting criticism of Israel from the United States could pose a challenge for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is trying to maintain good relations with his country’s closest ally as he mobilizes ultranationalist voters ahead of a tough battle for reelection in October.
Israel's military says it struck a Hamas commander in northern Gaza targeted drone strike. The attack Wednesday marks the first targeted strike Israel has announced since Aug. 3. Targeted strikes have come under closer scrutiny since President Donald Trump announced a deal aimed at advancing peace efforts in Gaza that would include halting them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Trump's plan earlier this week days after meeting with Board of Peace officials who urged Israel to stop the strikes. The Israeli military did not provide details about the man targeted or say whether he was killed.
Authorities in Yemen say at least six people were killed when Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The Transportation Ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Tuesday the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. The deadly vessel strike came amid renewed attacks on government-controlled areas in Yemen, raising concerns that the violence could reignite civil war and further threaten regional shipping routes. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iran, there has been renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip.
