United News of Bangladesh

Iran has warned that military vessels could be barred from passing through the Strait of Hormuz under a proposed agreement being negotiated with Oman, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday night. Iranian and Omani officials are discussing a new system for managing commercial shipping through the key waterway, which has remained largely closed nearly six months after the Iran war began. Meanwhile, Thailand said the USS Abraham Lincoln would make a short stop in the country as the US aircraft carrier prepares to leave the region following a long deployment that included operations related to the Iran war. In Gaza, Israeli strikes continued despite a fragile ceasefire with Hamas, raising concerns about further escalation. Here are the latest developments from the Iran war and across the Middle East: Iran says no military ships would pass HormuzIran and Oman have reached an initial understanding on a framework for managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with military vessels excluded from the route, Gharibabadi told Iranian state television. “If the understanding becomes binding, no military vessel will be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. He described the proposed arrangement as temporary, saying the two countries would have 30 to 60 days to negotiate a permanent system for managing maritime traffic. Under the proposal, commercial ships entering the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would travel entirely through Iranian waters. Ships leaving the Gulf would use both Iranian and Omani territorial waters, Gharibabadi said. The Trump administration has opposed parts of the proposed agreement, including plans for Iran and Oman to jointly manage the route used by ships leaving the strait, a key passage for global oil and natural gas supplies. US President Donald Trump last week warned Oman against obstructing the agreement. Israeli strike kills one in GazaAn Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least four others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it targeted a “military operative” but did not provide further details. The latest violence comes as the United States continues efforts to support a fragile ceasefire in the nearly three-year war between Israel and Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza have reported an increase in deadly Israeli strikes despite the ceasefire. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants it considers a threat, including those involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 others were taken hostage in the attack. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,400 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry is run by the Hamas-controlled government but staffed by medical professionals. Its casualty figures are considered generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, although the ministry does not separate civilian deaths from those of militants. Dubai airport sees sharp passenger declineDubai International Airport reported a major drop in passenger numbers during the second quarter of the year as the Iran war disrupted flights and pushed travelers to avoid routes through the Middle East. The airport handled about 13 million passengers during the second quarter. Passenger traffic for the first half of 2026 fell 31.3% from the same period last year, to 31.5 million passengers. Air travel across the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries was disrupted by airport closures and restrictions following the outbreak of fighting on Feb. 28. Dubai airport also sustained minor damage in Iranian attacks. Airport CEO Paul Griffiths said passenger numbers increased steadily during the second quarter and expressed confidence that the recovery would continue during the second half of the year. US aircraft carrier to stop in ThailandThe USS Abraham Lincoln will make a brief stop in Thailand after its long deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said. They did not disclose the date or location of the visit for security reasons. The carrier has been involved in operations during the Iran war. Its deployment lasted more than 250 days without interruption at sea, raising concerns about the mental health and well-being of its crew. The Royal Thai Navy said Tuesday that the visit would allow US Navy personnel to rest and recover. No military exercises are planned during the stop. Germany ends mission in Iraqi KurdistanGermany has ended the military mission of its advisers in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region after years of supporting the US-led campaign against Islamic State militants, the Kurdish Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said Wednesday. An official ceremony was held at Camp Stephan near Irbil International Airport to mark the end of the mission. Germany had already reduced its military presence in Iraq but kept a small team at the base. The move comes as US forces have also started withdrawing from northern Iraq ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to end their military presence in the country. US bases in the Kurdish region have repeatedly come under attack since the United States and Israel launched the Iran war on Feb. 28. Rights group criticizes Houthi court casesHuman Rights Watch has criticized Yemen’s Houthi rebels for sending at least six people to a specialized criminal court that handles terrorism and espionage cases. The New York-based rights group said at least five of those facing trial are UN employees or civil society workers. It also alleged that one defendant, Ali Mudhwahi, a public health expert working with UNICEF, was tortured and forced to confess to claims that vaccines were being used for spying. Since the Houthis seized control of Sanaa in 2015, dozens of journalists, political activists and members of religious minorities have faced trials at the court. The cases have involved charges that can carry the death penalty.