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Iran says Trump's threats against Oman 'dangerous' and 'bullying'
We have a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry in which the spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, described Donald Trump’s threats against Oman as “dangerous” and “bullying”.
He was quoted as saying:
Threats to “destroy” a United Nations member state that has always played a constructive, effective, and responsible role in regional peace and security and has used its noble efforts in the service of regional peace and stability as a mediator in diplomatic processes for many years are not only a violation of the fundamental principle of prohibiting the threat of the use of force, but also another dangerous sign of the normalisation of lawlessness and bullying in international relations.
As a reminder, the US president said yesterday that he would “blow up” Oman if it entered an agreement with Iran to manage shipping in the strait of Hormuz.
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Further to that, a senior Arab official directly involved in mediating peace talks between Washington and Tehran has told NBC News that US and Iranian negotiators agreed to the terms of a truce deal three days ago, but both sides have delayed finalising and announcing it.
“It was already closed in Doha three days ago, now everyone is playing a game of chicken and egg,” the official said, describing the delays as “frustrating”.
Negotiators agreed a deal but had to go back to their leaders for approval, with Donald Trump’s approval still pending, they said.
Asked whether the US president is still pushing for Iran’s Arab neighbours to normalise relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords as part of a deal, the official told NBC News that Trump has brought it up.
“Someone is misunderstanding the situation in a big way,” the Arab official said. “We should be paid back, not paying the price.”
Further reports that US and Iran have reached memorandum of understanding
US sources have also confirmed to Al Jazeera that US and Iranian negotiators have agreed on a framework for a 60-day ceasefire extension deal but it still needs Donald Trump’s approval.
The sources confirmed the two sides had agreed on a memorandum of understanding to extend the truce and launch negotiations for a final deal to end the war.
This is in line with the report we brought you earlier from Axios, which cited two US officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts.
The Associated Press hears the same from a US official, and Reuters from four sources familiar with the matter.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN chief António Guterres, has said that the United Nations is trying to “get a better understanding of what is official and what is not official”, amid reports that a memorandum of understanding has been reached between the US and Iran.
In comments reported by Al Jazeera, Dujarric told reporters that the UN is “very worried and concerned” about exchanges of fire between the two countries this week. He added:
We encourage both parties to respect the ceasefire that they had announced.
The day so far
Axios is reporting that the US and Iran have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, US president Donald Trump still needs to give final approval, according to two American officials.
Donald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal. In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to target Oman if it helped impose a tolling system in the key strait of Hormuz, warning of sanctions against parties involved. “Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent warned in a post on X.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened a “firm response” on Thursday in the event of renewed attacks, after the United States carried out a strike the country’s south. “If this action is repeated, the US military will face a firm response,” the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website.
Kuwait has now named Iran as the culprit behind the attempted missile and drone attacks against the Gulf state, describing it as a “dangerous escalation”. Earlier, the Kuwaiti armed forces said it had intercepted drones and missiles that were launched towards the country, but did not say who was behind the attacks. The US and UAE placed the blame squarely on Iran.
The IDF said it carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which had been largely spared of attacks since a fragile ceasefire took effect on 17 April. In a post on X, it said: “The IDF has just carried out a targeted strike in Beirut; further details to follow.”
Israel is breaking all contact with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, the country’s ambassador announced Thursday, saying it was “outrageous” that Israel has been blacklisted over accusations of sexual violence in war zones. “We are done with this secretary-general,” ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had ordered the country’s military to take control of 70% of the Gaza strip, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October. “We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60% of the territory in the strip,” he said at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, according to a video aired by Israel’s Channel 12 network.
Israel has denounced a UN decision to blacklist the country over alleged sexual violence in conflict zones, calling the move “shameful and absurd”. “The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission,” Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, said on X.
The proportion of vessels not linked to Iranian ownership that are transiting the key strait of Hormuz has risen, according to data from maritime firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence shared Thursday. This despite Iran blockading the waterway since the start of the Middle East war on 28 February, preventing a large share of Gulf countries’ hydrocarbon exports, in turn harming the global economy.
The proportion of vessels not linked to Iranian ownership that are transiting the key strait of Hormuz has risen, according to data from maritime firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence shared Thursday.
This despite Iran blockading the waterway since the start of the Middle East war on 28 February, preventing a large share of Gulf countries’ hydrocarbon exports, in turn harming the global economy.
“The last week we saw ships flagged with Singapore, UAE, South Korea, and also a Norway flagged-vessel going through the Gulf, specifically exiting,” said Bridget Diakun, an analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
Israel has denounced a UN decision to blacklist the country over alleged sexual violence in conflict zones, calling the move “shameful and absurd”.
“The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission,” Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, said on X.
Netanyahu orders IDF to occupy 70% of Gaza, up from 50%
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had ordered the country’s military to take control of 70% of the Gaza strip, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October.
“We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60% of the territory in the strip,” he said at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement, according to a video aired by Israel’s Channel 12 network.
He said the military had controlled 50% of Gaza under the terms of the ceasefire, adding: “My directive is to move to... 70%”.
“We’re squeezing them from all [sides]. We’ll deal with what’s left afterwards.”
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to target Oman if it helped impose a tolling system in the key strait of Hormuz, warning of sanctions against parties involved.
“Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent warned in a post on X.
Donald Trump shares draft Iran peace agreement with Israel and other allies
Patrick Wintour
Donald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal.
In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.
Tehran targeted a US air base in Kuwait on Thursday after Washington struck what it described as an Iranian drone operation near the strait of Hormuz, highlighting the fragile situation as both sets of negotiators refuse to cede ground on final points of disagreement.
The draft Trump has shared is not vastly different to the one that has been circulating across the Middle East for days, under which the strait of Hormuz would be opened to commercial shipping, the US blockade of Iranian ports would by lifted and Iran would be given access to as much as $12bn (£9bn) in frozen assets.
The aim would be for commercial shipping in the strait to return to pre-war levels within 30 days and for negotiations envisaged to last as long as 60 days to commence on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. This would include discussions about its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a time-limited suspension of further enrichment and supervision by the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
China is pressing for the UN security council to ratify any agreement.
US media report draft 60-day deal agreed - but not yet approved by Trump
Axios is reporting that the US and Iran have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
However, US president Donald Trump still needs to give final approval, according to two American officials.
Israel is breaking all contact with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, the country’s ambassador announced Thursday, saying it was “outrageous” that Israel has been blacklisted over accusations of sexual violence in war zones.
“We are done with this secretary-general,” ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X.
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is set to meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington today, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
Islamabad is continuing its mediation efforts to negotiate a peace agreement to bring an end to the Iran war. Dar has been in the US for the UN security council and other meetings in New York.
US to shut down Iranian airlines' access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales, says Bessent
The US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will be shutting down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales.
In a post on X, he said the US has sanctioned Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a government agency Tehran established on 5 May handling transit fees for vessels in the strait of Hormuz.
Bessent wrote:
The US treasury continues our Economic Fury campaign against the Iranian regime.
Their troops are not getting paid, the police are not reporting for work, and Kharg Island is shut down. The Iranian economy and currency are in free fall.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is a joke, and today Treasury has sanctioned it. We have warned any corporate or state entities against paying tolls or hiding them as aid payments.
Forming a Wall of Steel, the US Naval Blockade has ensured a record low amount of Iranian crude on the water. We will also be shutting down both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling, and ticket sales.
Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral.
