U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has no talks planned with Iran but insisted that the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating,” despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship leaving the strategic waterway.
Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to bomb Oman as the country sought an agreement with Iran to manage shipping traffic through the strait, two regional officials said Tuesday. The officials said Trump had reportedly issued the threat a day earlier if Oman “gets in the way.” Iran has said the waterway will not be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions.
As negotiations between Iran and Oman continued, a projectile struck a ship in the strait, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they had launched drones at an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia.
Here is a look at the latest developments Tuesday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East:
Trump looms over negotiations to reopen Strait of Hormuz
As Oman and Iran said they were nearing an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said Tuesday on social media that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained “in full force and effect.” He also said all naval mines had been removed and that other maritime traffic was free to pass.
Trump posted a map depicting the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post.
“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man,” he wrote on X.
The Trump administration has told Oman that it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced agreement, according to officials briefed on the U.S. position. These include joint Iranian and Omani management of the passage’s exit route and the collection of voluntary fees from vessels, even if the funds are used for maritime security and environmental protection.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further on Oman.
— By Samy Magdy in Cairo
Egypt says Iran-Oman agreement could pave way for Iran-US deal
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that an agreement between Iran and Oman could create an opportunity for Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations toward a “comprehensive and permanent deal” addressing all concerns and strengthening regional security and stability.
The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi. It did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman.
The 60-day negotiating period between the United States and Iran ended this week without a clear end to the war in sight.
Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell significantly last week, with confirmed crossings declining 19.5% to 95 transits, according to shipping data platform Kpler.
Only three vessels passed through the waterway on Sunday. The ships used the Iranian-designated route, while no crossings were recorded through the Omani routes.
Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7% to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which vessels switch off transponders that broadcast their locations, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.
Projectile damages ship in strait, causing casualty
An unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman and “resulted in a crew casualty,” according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center.
The maritime monitoring agency did not provide details about the ship or its cargo. It was also unclear whether the crew member was killed or wounded.
No environmental damage was reported. The agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members while authorities investigated the incident.
Iran-backed Houthis claim attack on Saudi oil refinery
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they launched drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, in the latest attack that could threaten to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the wider Middle East conflict.
The attack targeted a facility operated by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage, and Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.
The Houthis have intensified attacks against government forces in Yemen, oil facilities in Saudi Arabia — which supports the Yemeni government — and Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, an important alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli strike on Gaza City kills 6
An Israeli strike hit Gaza City on Tuesday, killing six people, including a child, and wounding 14 others, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
The Israeli military said it struck Hamas commanders in the Shati area who were planning attacks against Israeli forces.
The heaviest fighting has eased since a ceasefire took effect in October after more than two years of war. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes since then, killing at least 1,266 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are generally considered reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. However, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its figures.
Missiles fired toward United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said Tuesday that two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE.
One missile landed outside the country’s waters, while the other fell within them, the ministry said. It was unclear whether the missiles were intercepted by air defenses or fell on their own. No damage or injuries were reported.
Iran early Wednesday rejected the UAE’s claim that it had launched missiles toward the country.
In a social media post, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Dubai’s accusations were “detrimental to ongoing efforts to strengthen trust among the countries of the region and prevent a further deterioration of security.” He urged countries in the region to refrain from making “baseless accusations” against Iran.
In the weeks after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Tuesday’s reported attack was the first such incident in weeks.