United News of Bangladesh

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for dialogue and negotiations to achieve a comprehensive and durable settlement of the conflicts in the Gulf and the Red Sea. Farhan Haq, the UN deputy spokesman, stated that the Secretary-General is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, specifically the situations in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Guterres remains convinced that a lasting resolution can only be reached through diplomatic engagement. Pentagon review: 153 civilians killed in US strikes on Houthis last year "Such a settlement would help restore stability and confidence across the region, while also safeguarding the navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea," Haq said. The spokesman also noted that UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg is continuing his efforts to de-escalate the situation in Yemen. Haq emphasized that any activities disrupting shipping along the coast of Yemen also hinder UN efforts to deliver essential supplies to the war-torn country. Consequently, the United Nations has called for an immediate end to all such obstructions in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused the Israeli government of attempting to push the Palestinian cause off the international agenda by exploiting regional conflicts and chaos. Speaking at a joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan asserted that the administration of Benjamin Netanyahu aims to remove Palestine from the "common agenda of humanity" through regional instability. He maintained that these efforts would fail, promising that Turkiye will continue to fight for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Pentagon review: 153 civilians killed in US strikes on Houthis last year "No matter what they do, they will not succeed. The Palestinian cause will continue to grow in people’s hearts," Erdogan said. President Abbas, who arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, described the discussions as "important and fruitful." He was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including intelligence chief Majed Faraj, diplomatic adviser Majdi Khalidi, and senior official Ziad Abu Amr. The leaders' meeting focused on recent regional developments and the ongoing struggle for Palestinian statehood. With inputs from Al Jazeera

A Pentagon review has confirmed that U.S. airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen killed 153 civilians and injured 243 others last year. The unclassified assessment, submitted to Congress, focused on three strikes in April 2025 during a campaign to secure Red Sea trade routes. The deadliest strike occurred at the Ras Isa port, killing 80 people and injuring 171. Attacks also targeted sites near the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Drone strikes hit key oil facilities in western Libya as car bomb kills officer in east While U.S. Central Command maintained the operations were intended to eliminate Houthi revenue and fuel sources rather than harm the Yemeni people, the review concluded the strikes "more likely than not" resulted in civilian harm. The report follows mounting scrutiny of civilian casualties under the Trump administration, including an earlier strike on an Iranian primary school that killed 168 people. Reports indicate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reduced the department's office for mitigating civilian harm. The findings come as intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities and Yemeni forces threaten to collapse the 2022 truce and reignite the civil war.

President Donald Trump, who has long argued that decades of economic pressure failed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, is now turning back to financial pressure in hopes of ending the war with Tehran. The Trump administration believes months of U.S. bombing have pushed Iran’s economy close to a breaking point and could force its leaders to accept demands to abandon its nuclear program and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers. Trump said Monday that because Iran is seeking compensation as part of any peace agreement, the United States would also seek compensation. His remarks came as he increasingly portrayed Iran as being on the verge of financial collapse, despite the country having faced U.S. sanctions for decades. Such sanctions are generally viewed as a long-term pressure tool rather than an immediate means of ending a war. The shift comes as U.S. supplies of some key weapons have declined and intermittent negotiations appear to have stalled again. Trump, however, maintains that increased pressure could produce a breakthrough. “Yeah, they can make trouble, but they’re broke,” Trump told reporters. “They have no money. You know, Iran is broke, totally broke. And, they’re not paying their soldiers. They have inflation of 300%.” Iran is experiencing high inflation, although Trump’s estimate is above figures administration officials have cited. A prolonged conflict also threatens to fuel inflation elsewhere, including in the United States, where the war and rising gasoline prices have become unpopular. Crude oil prices rose Monday after investors interpreted Trump’s comments as suggesting that fewer vessels would be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, further restricting global supplies of gasoline, jet fuel, natural gas and other energy products. The waterway, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies moved before the conflict, has been largely closed since the war began. Efforts to reopen it have been short-lived, as Iran has increasingly used access to the strait as leverage in negotiations. Iran, meanwhile, has shown little public concern about the prospect of additional sanctions. “Whenever Washington proves itself incapable of pursuing diplomacy, it retreats into sanctions; and whenever those sanctions fail to produce results, it simply increases the dose,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on social media. He warned that continued reliance on sanctions could further reduce Washington’s chances of finding a way out of the crisis. White House calls sanctions effort Operation Economic Fury Trump did not specify what new financial measures he might impose. However, his administration has been carrying out what it calls “Operation Economic Fury” against Iran since April 16. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described the campaign as the “financial equivalent” of a bombing operation, with countries that purchase Iranian oil or conduct financial transactions with Iran potentially facing sanctions. One challenge for the strategy is that sanctions cannot produce effects as quickly as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, said Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University who helped oversee Iran sanctions policy during the Obama administration. Nephew said the effectiveness of sanctions is also limited because Trump has not clearly defined the strategic objectives of the war. At different times, Trump has focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, reopening the strait and curbing its ballistic missile program. Instead, Trump has launched an extensive aerial campaign that has caused significant destruction without bringing the swift end to the conflict he initially promised. “Economic pressure is a possible element in his strategy, but he’s yet to explain the purpose,” Nephew said. He argued that Trump has weakened his own position through what he described as inadequate use of force, unclear objectives and shifting positions on negotiations. Still, sanctions and the continuing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports provide Washington with significant economic and financial leverage, said Juan Zarate, a former deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush. Zarate said U.S. sanctions against third countries doing business with Iran could also have an impact, although such measures take time to work. “The ultimate question will be how far the United States is willing to go to constrict Iran’s oil trade and threaten third countries with severe sanctions — and whether it has the patience to test whether the economic pain will change the regime’s behavior,” Zarate said. Trump has criticized previous sanctions Trump’s renewed emphasis on economic pressure represents a shift from his previous criticism of sanctions-based approaches toward Iran. He has repeatedly argued that sanctions imposed by previous administrations did not go far enough to prevent Iran from developing its military and nuclear capabilities. Speaking last week in Las Vegas, Trump defended the bombing, missile and drone campaign that began Feb. 28, saying economic sanctions imposed on Iran since November 1979 had failed to achieve their objective. “It’s been 47 years, but really, it’s been 50 years because they’ve been saying 47 for three years, it’s been 50 years,” Trump said. “And no other president has done what you should have done a long time ago, because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, can’t have it.” The Iranian economy has been badly affected by the war. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran’s overall economy will contract by 5.4%, while the Iranian government recently reported an annual inflation rate of 88.6%. The U.S. Treasury Department said average Iranian oil shipments have fallen from 1.8 million barrels per day before the war to less than 500,000 barrels per day over the past month. The U.S. economy, meanwhile, has continued to expand, although inflation remains elevated and borrowing costs have increased. Those pressures have hurt Trump’s popularity and contributed to public disapproval of the war with Iran. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s strategy, said U.S. military action has reduced Iran’s ability to produce, sell and transport oil and other energy resources. The administration considers the naval blockade and sanctions effective and believes Trump has additional measures that could be intensified over the coming weeks and months. Trump is effectively arguing that Americans are better positioned to withstand economic difficulties than Iranians, who have faced years of economic hardship. “It’s not just what the military can do — we’ve got the most powerful economy in the world as well,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday alongside Bessent. “And when you’ve got a motivated treasury secretary who can pull a lot of levers because he knows how to do it, you can put a lot of pressure on adversaries.”

At least four people were killed and 30 others were wounded as a bus overturned on an intercity road in Iran's eastern South Khorasan province on Tuesday, state-run IRIB news agency reported. The incident occurred in Darmian County at 6:40 a.m. local time (0310 GMT), IRIB quoted the province's deputy traffic police chief as saying. The bus was carrying 40 passengers, said the official, adding that those wounded in the incident were transferred to hospital. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday officially rejected a 15-point Gaza peace roadmap presented by the U.S.-led "Board of Peace," insisting that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is completely disarmed. Marking Israel’s first straightforward rejection of the plan, Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that forces- estimated to control 70 percent of Gaza —will continue operations to "thwart threats". He defined disarmament as the removal of all weapons, both heavy and light. While noting ongoing talks with the U.S., Netanyahu stated that while some ideas are acceptable, Israel will "stand our ground" on disputed matters. The plan, drafted by Nickolay Mladenov in May and announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in July, claimed agreement on the "complete disarmament" of armed groups. Hamas previously agreed to the roadmap’s second phase but demanded a complete halt to "aggression," full Israeli withdrawal, and reconstruction progress. Since an October 2025 ceasefire, Israeli attacks have reportedly killed over 1,250 people and injured 4,100 in Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday claimed responsibility for a drone attack on an Aramco oil facility in southwestern Saudi Arabia, as tensions continued to rise across the Middle East. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted an Aramco refinery in the city of Jazan with a drone. He said the attack was carried out in response to Saudi drones allegedly entering Yemeni airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry earlier Sunday reported a fire at a facility linked to the Aramco refinery. The fire was brought under control and no casualties were reported, the ministry said, without giving a cause for the blaze. The claimed attack is the latest in a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and shipping routes in the Red Sea. The renewed escalation has raised concerns over a possible resurgence of Yemen’s civil war, more than four years after a 2022 truce halted major fighting. Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz Meanwhile, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States changes what Tehran described as its hostile conduct, adding new conditions that could complicate negotiations over reopening the strategically important waterway. Iran’s state broadcaster quoted Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the country’s Supreme National Security Council and a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, as saying the United States must permanently end its war against Iran and its armed allies in the region. Tehran also demanded that Washington refrain from making future threats against Iran, lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw US forces from the region. Iran further called for full compensation for damage caused by the war, the lifting of sanctions and the unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. The United States, which has sought an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz before ending the blockade, did not immediately comment on Iran’s demands. Under an interim agreement signed in June, negotiations on a final deal were expected to include a timetable for lifting sanctions, compensation and arrangements concerning frozen Iranian assets. 

Iran has set new conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates said a vessel owned by its state-run oil company was targeted by an Iranian missile as tensions continued to rise across the Middle East. Meanwhile, Yemen's military carried out attacks against the country's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, while Turkey's parliament took a step forward on legislation aimed at supporting a peace process with Kurdish militants. Here are the latest developments across the Middle East: Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened until the United States "corrects its behavior," setting out demands that could complicate ongoing talks over the strategic waterway. The council's secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the US must never again threaten Iran and must permanently end its war with Iran and its regional allies. Iran also demanded that Washington lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw its military forces from the region, provide "complete compensation" for war-related damage, remove sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets "unconditionally." The US did not immediately comment on the demands. Under an interim agreement reached in June, discussions on lifting sanctions, compensation and frozen assets were to be part of a final deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier Saturday that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman on navigation through the strait. However, he said reopening the waterway would depend on meeting other conditions and accused the US of violating the interim agreement. Oman, which has been mediating the talks, said discussions were continuing in a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and condemned attacks on vessels in the strait. Details emerge on possible Iran-Oman deal The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and natural gas supplies, was considered an international waterway before the war. A temporary agreement being negotiated by Iran and Oman would allow the strait to reopen, with vessels entering through a route close to Iran and leaving through a route near Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks. Under the proposed arrangement, ships would not have to pay fees or tolls while crossing the waterway during the interim period. The agreement is intended to restore an earlier separate understanding between the US and Iran and restart a 60-day period for negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme. During that period, Iran is expected to be allowed to sell oil. The current 60-day deadline for reaching a final agreement is due to expire in just over a week. The two people said the proposed deal has the backing of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and could eventually be announced jointly by Iran, Oman, the US and the International Maritime Organization. However, they cautioned that the terms could still change before the agreement is finalized. UAE says Iranian missile targeted vessel A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi's state-run oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati authorities said. The UAE Foreign Ministry said Iran fired a missile at the vessel as part of attacks on commercial shipping. ADNOC said no one was injured in the attack early Saturday. The company said more than a dozen of its vessels have been targeted by missiles and drones while crossing the strait since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in February. According to ADNOC, one crew member has been killed and 20 others injured in the attacks. The company did not provide details about the location of Saturday's incident or report the extent of any damage. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre later said a vessel east of Khasab, Oman, was hit by a projectile, causing a fire that was later extinguished. The vessel and its crew were reported safe. It was not immediately clear whether the incident involved the ADNOC vessel. Turkey says defense deal not aimed at any country Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a new defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey is not directed against any particular country. The agreement, signed Friday, states that an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all. Speaking to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency on Saturday, Fidan said the three countries do not consider any state an adversary unless it takes hostile action against them. He said the agreement does not identify any common threat. Under the mutual defense arrangement, a member country would formally request assistance, which could include intelligence-sharing, logistical support or the deployment of military units, Fidan said. He added that a secretariat for the mechanism would be established in Saudi Arabia. Fidan said several other countries have shown interest in joining the agreement. He also said he expects Egypt, which he described as a "natural partner," to join at a later stage. Yemen's military attacks Iran-backed Houthis Yemen's military carried out attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in response to recent Houthi strikes in central and eastern parts of the country. Col. Majed al-Nazili, a spokesperson for Yemen's military, said the attacks targeted Houthi "sites and capabilities" along several front lines but did not provide further details. The renewed escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has raised concerns that the country's civil war could resume following a truce reached in 2022. Turkey's Kurdish peace bill clears parliamentary committee A Turkish draft law aimed at advancing a peace process with the country's Kurdish insurgents passed an initial hurdle in parliament on Saturday after being approved by a committee. The bill is expected to be considered by the full parliament next week. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, announced last year that it would disarm and disband as part of a peace initiative aimed at ending its decades-long conflict with the Turkish state. The proposed legislation sets out procedures for the group's disarmament and the rehabilitation of some PKK members. The measures would take effect after Turkey's National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered its weapons. The conflict, which began in the 1980s, has killed tens of thousands of people. Turkey and its Western allies designate the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Israeli forces arrested 60 Palestinians, including women and children, during the second day of an ongoing military operation in the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society. In a statement, the organisation said those detained were subjected to interrogation as Israeli troops continued raids across the camp. Hamas agrees to disarm under Gaza ceasefire roadmap The group alleged that the operation involved severe beatings, intimidation and the use of restraints as a form of torture. It also claimed that Israeli forces forced residents from their homes and damaged property and personal belongings during the raids. Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said at least 16 Palestinians were injured after being assaulted by Israeli forces during the operation over the past two days. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Iran and the United States said Wednesday that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be close, raising hopes of easing pressure on the global economy and helping end the war. Iran said it was in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the strategic waterway, while US President Donald Trump said a deal could be announced within days. However, any agreement is likely to depend on the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The Trump administration has previously rejected any arrangement that would strengthen Iran’s control over the strait, which would represent a major setback for Washington and depart from international norms. Iran, meanwhile, has insisted on retaining some control over the waterway, saying it will not return to being an open international waterway as it was before the war. The United States and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, citing several objectives, including removing Iran’s government and ending its nuclear program. Neither goal has been achieved, and the conflict has increasingly centered on the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s attempts to assert control and attacks on shipping have brought maritime traffic to a near standstill. The closure of the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas previously passed, has pushed up fuel and basic goods prices and disrupted the global economy. Trump is also facing growing pressure to end the unpopular war ahead of US congressional elections. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the agreement with Oman was in its “final stage” and that a joint statement would be issued “if certain parties do not obstruct this process,” apparently referring to the United States. Regional officials say draft deal finalized Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized a draft agreement to reopen the strait and are awaiting final approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the opening strikes of the war and has not appeared in public since then. The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, described the possible agreement as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. They said it is linked to an agreement reached between the United States and Iran in June that sought to end the fighting and reopen the waterway but eventually collapsed. They said the potential deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Earlier, the officials said the proposed arrangement would allow ships to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and leave through an Omani-controlled route. Service fees would be charged for security and protection of the maritime environment. The United States has said it strongly opposes any arrangement that would allow Iran to charge such fees. Trump says deal could come soon Trump was asked Tuesday evening about an Axios report that a deal on the strait could be announced Wednesday. “It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump told reporters. “A lot of progress has been made.” Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Wednesday that the US effort to resolve the conflict may appear slow, describing the process as “messy” and saying it would take time. In an interview aired Wednesday evening on Fox News Channel, Vance said the Iranians were “extraordinarily difficult people” and that diplomatic efforts sometimes require moving backward before making progress. Oil prices initially declined Wednesday before edging higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading around $80 a barrel, still well below the levels reached at the height of the conflict. Trump has in recent days alternated between threatening major military strikes and expressing support for diplomatic efforts. Attacks on regional shipping continue Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday that they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea off the Saudi port of Yanbu, without providing evidence. Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment. A vessel sailing in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen reported a loud explosion nearby, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The crew was safe, it said. The Houthis also claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at another Saudi oil tanker. The latest escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has raised concerns that Yemen’s civil war could intensify again. The conflict has pitted the Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s government. In July, the Houthis announced that they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. The move has added pressure on international shipping, as the Red Sea became an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war. Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire grows increasingly fragile The already fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group became more volatile Wednesday after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to residents of the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri, the first such warning in weeks. Later, the Israeli military said it had launched “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon in response to what it called a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.” The truce had largely held since June 20. The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of an agreement under which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament. A State Department official said the Rome talks ended early “due to events on the ground” but could resume Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy, described the discussions as “extremely productive.”