United News of Bangladesh

Iran’s parliament deputy speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei has said the first revenues collected from tolls imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz have been deposited into the country’s Central Bank account. According to Tasnim News Agency, Haji Babaei did not provide details on how the revenue was collected or which vessels paid the fees. The claim could not be independently verified, reports BBC. Before the current ceasefire, Tehran had indicated that passage through the strait would be limited to what it described as “friendly” countries, with discussions underway about imposing tolls on vessels using the key maritime route. However, authorities had not clarified whether such charges were being enforced or how much ships would be required to pay. In late March, Iran’s embassy in India denied reports that vessels were being charged $2 million to pass through the strait. Separately, Iranian lawmaker Alireza Salimi told Tasnim that fees had been collected from ships, though the amounts varied depending on cargo type and associated risks. “The amount and fees collected from each of these ships vary depending on the type and amount of cargo and the level of risk they carry, and Iran determines how and to what extent these fees are collected,” he said. The development comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with US President Donald Trump previously warning ships against paying tolls to Iran for passage through the strategic waterway.

Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid on Thursday as he left a building following a news conference in the German capital. Despite the incident, Pahlavi waved to supporters before getting into a vehicle that drove away from the scene. Police immediately detained the suspected perpetrator, though further details about the motive were not immediately available. Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly five decades following the overthrow of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, during the Iranian Revolution. The revolution saw millions take to the streets, forcing the shah from power. In recent years, Pahlavi has sought to reassert his role as a political figure and position himself in discussions about Iran’s future.

A US intelligence assessment suggests it could take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines allegedly deployed by Iran, according to a report by The Washington Post. US defense officials briefed lawmakers this week, saying such an operation is unlikely to begin until the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran ends. Members of the House Armed Services Committee were told on Tuesday that the prolonged timeline could keep global gasoline and oil prices elevated, potentially through upcoming US midterm elections. The assessment indicated that Iran may have deployed 20 or more mines in and around the strait. Some of the mines were reportedly floated remotely using GPS technology, making them difficult to detect, while others were believed to have been placed by small boats operated by Iranian forces. The disclosure was made during a classified briefing to lawmakers. However, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back on the reports, describing them as “inaccurate.” “As we said in March, one assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and a six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the (Defense) Secretary,” he said, without providing an alternative timeline. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said there is “no time frame” for ending the conflict with Iran.

The U.S. military seized another tanker Thursday associated with smuggling Iranian oil. The U.S. Defense Department said it seized the oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. “We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Defense Department said. The seizure comes after Iran attacked three cargo ships Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two of them. The Defense Department released footage of the seizure of the vessel, showing U.S. troops on the deck of the vessel. Ship-tracking data showed the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, earlier seized by American forces. It had been bound for Zhoushan, China. The Majestic X is a Guyana-flagged oil tanker. It previously had been named Phonix and had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in contravention of American sanctions on the Islamic Republic. “Iran relies upon a sprawling network of tankers and ship management firms in multiple jurisdictions to transport its petroleum to overseas customers — using tactics such as false documentation, manipulation of vessel tracking systems, and constant changes to the names and flags of vessels,” the Treasury said at the time. There was no immediate response from Iran on the news of the seizure. Since the start of the war between Iran, Israel and the United States, over 30 ships have come under attack in the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The threat of attack, rising insurance premiums and other fears have stopped traffic from moving through the strait, through which 20% of all crude oil and natural gas traded passes. Iran’s ability to restrict traffic through the strait, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has proved a major strategic advantage. After the attacks Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Channel that American officials that Iran’s seizure of the ships didn’t violate truce terms because “these were not U.S. or Israeli ships, these were two international vessels.” However, the ceasefire has been strained by dueling American attacks on Iranian ships and those by Iran on commercial vessels. It also remains unclear when, or if, the two sides will meet again in Islamabad, where Pakistani officials say they are still trying to bring the countries together to reach a diplomatic deal. END/UNB/AP/SIS

Lebanon and Israel are set to begin a second round of rare direct talks in Washington on Thursday, focusing on extending the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group and exploring future negotiations. The meeting will bring together Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter. It follows their first direct engagement held just days ago, marking the first such contact between the two countries in nearly 30 years. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said discussions are underway to prolong the current 10-day ceasefire that started last Friday. According to his office, Hamadeh will propose extending the truce and call for an end to Israeli demolitions of homes in areas occupied after fighting broke out on March 2. Aoun said broader negotiations are also being prepared, aiming to fully stop Israeli attacks, secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, ensure the release of Lebanese detainees held in Israel, deploy Lebanese forces along the border and begin reconstruction efforts. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged Lebanon to cooperate in disarming Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, ahead of the Washington talks. “We don't have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved,” Saar said during remarks marking Israel’s Independence Day, where he described Lebanon as a “failed state.” “The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one: Hezbollah,” he added, saying Lebanon could achieve sovereignty and independence free from Iranian influence. The latest conflict began when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, shortly after Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iran. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground operation, capturing several towns and villages along the border. Israeli forces now control a buffer zone extending up to 10 kilometers inside southern Lebanon, saying it is meant to prevent attacks on northern Israel. Despite Hezbollah’s strong opposition, the talks are seen as a significant step between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties and have technically been at war since 1948. The Lebanese government hopes the discussions will lead to a lasting end to the conflict. While Iran has linked regional ceasefires to any future talks with Washington, Lebanon has stressed it is negotiating independently. Wafiq Safa, a senior figure in Hezbollah’s political council, told AP that the group would not accept any outcome from the direct talks. Since the ceasefire began last week, both sides have reported several violations. The recent fighting has killed around 2,300 people in Lebanon, including many women and children, and forced more than 1 million people from their homes. Last week’s meeting marked the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel since 1993, with previous communication largely handled through mediators such as the United States or the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s leadership, which criticised Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on March 2, had pushed for direct talks early on in hopes of preventing further escalation and avoiding a ground invasion.

Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi criticized the ceasefire between the Unites States and Iran. He argued Thursday that the agreement assumes the Iranian government’s behavior will change and “you’re going to deal with people who all of a sudden have become pragmatists.” “I don’t see that happening,” he said during a news conference in Berlin. “I’m not saying that diplomacy should not be given a chance, but I think diplomacy has been given enough chance.” Pahlavi has tried to position himself for a return to power should the Shiite theocracy fall and has supported the U.S.-Israeli military intervention in the Middle East. Pahlavi called on Europeans to do more to support Iranian people fighting for democracy. He claimed 19 political prisoners were executed by Iranian authorities in the past two weeks and another 20 people have been sentenced to death. “Will the free world do something or watch the slaughter in silence,” Pahlavi wondered.

Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday upheld crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte over the deadly anti-drug campaign carried out during his tenure. A three-judge panel unanimously concluded that there are “substantial grounds” to believe the former leader was responsible for multiple killings, both during his time as mayor of Davao City and later as president. Duterte, 80, was arrested in the Philippines last year, though legal proceedings have been delayed due to concerns about his health.  

The supply of Russian oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline crossing Ukraine has resumed, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková said on Thursday. The flow restarted at 2 a.m. on Thursday after remaining suspended for about three months. Hungary and Slovakia have been in an escalating dispute with Ukraine since Russian oil deliveries to both countries were halted in January. Unlike most European Union members, Hungary and Slovakia still rely heavily on Russian energy supplies. Both countries have accused Ukraine of not repairing damage to the pipeline. Hungary has blocked a large European Union loan intended for war-hit Ukraine, while Slovakia had refused to support new sanctions against Russia until oil supplies resumed.  

Iran fired on three vessels and seized two of them in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, escalating its actions against shipping in the vital route a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. The confrontation between the United States and Iran has severely disrupted exports through the strait, a key passage that normally handles about 20 percent of the world’s traded oil, with no clear resolution in sight. Iranian media reported that the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was taking the seized vessels to Iran, marking a further escalation. However, the White House said the seizures did not breach the terms of the ceasefire. The ongoing tensions have already pushed up global fuel prices and increased the cost of food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, has surged past $100 per barrel, rising around 35 percent compared to pre-conflict levels, although global stock markets have shown limited reaction so far. Dan Jørgensen, the European Union’s energy commissioner, warned that the disruption could have long-term consequences for both consumers and businesses, comparing it to major energy crises over the past 50 years. He said the situation is costing Europe an estimated 500 million euros, or about $600 million, each day.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed and another journalist Zeinab Faraj injured in an Israeli airstrike, with both trapped under rubble for more than an hour before rescue teams could reach them. A senior Lebanese military official said Khalil’s body was later recovered from the debris following the strike. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the attack hit a house where the two journalists had taken shelter after an earlier strike, accusing Israel of targeting the location. Rescue efforts were initially delayed as teams struggled to access the site. A Red Cross team later evacuated Faraj to a hospital along with the bodies of two civilians killed in a previous attack. During the evacuation, the ambulance reportedly came under fire and was struck by multiple bullets. Faraj underwent surgery and is now in stable condition, while Khalil’s employer confirmed she had been killed in the Israeli attack earlier in the day. However, the Israeli military denied deliberately targeting journalists in the incident. #By Middle East Eye