Tensions in the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz intensified Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats in the strait, while Iran pushed back on Trump's claim there was a leadership rift in the Islamic Republic.
“In Iran there are no ‘hard-liners’ or ‘moderates’. We are all Iranians and revolutionaries,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote in almost identical social media statements.
Recommended Videos
Since the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the first strike of the war on Feb. 28, it has been unclear who in Iran wields ultimate authority over its collection of civilian figures and powerful generals who appear to be in charge.
Trump also said Thursday evening that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House.
The standoff between the U.S. and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime, with no end in sight.
Here is the latest:
Beirut residents call for peace in south Lebanon
Some Lebanese people in Beirut believe south Lebanon should be included in a ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.
They said a deal will not be sustainable without a lasting truce between Iran and the United States.
“It is not related to Hezbollah and Israel, but to Iran and the US. If they reach an agreement, the whole of the Middle East will be calm, but if not, there will be escalation in Lebanon and the rest of the world,” Joe Ghafari said.
Diala Ammar said it is “unfair” for the south to stay at war while the rest of the country “lives normally.”
Israeli forces occupying a strip of territory extending several miles into southern Lebanon have continued strikes, while Hezbollah has attacked Israeli forces there.
Pakistan repays $3.45 billion in UAE deposits
Pakistan completed repayment of $3.45 billion in deposits to the United Arab Emirates, returning a final $1 billion tranche, Pakistan’s central bank said Friday.
Pakistan had to arrange $3 billion in fresh financing from Saudi Arabia to support its foreign reserves.
The UAE placed the deposits with Pakistan in 2018 to bolster foreign exchange reserves.
The repayment comes weeks after the UAE asked Pakistan to return the funds without publicly explaining the reason for the abrupt request.
Media reports in Pakistan suggested the UAE’s request was linked to geopolitical differences over regional developments, though the government in Islamabad has downplayed such claims, maintaining that bilateral ties remain strong..
Iran’s foreign minister talks with Pakistani officials
Iran’s top diplomat has called Pakistani officials over the ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel.
A statement Friday said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief.
Araghchi’s statement said the men spoke about “regional developments and issues related to the ceasefire,” without elaborating.
Pakistan did not immediately acknowledge the call.
Pakistan has been trying to get American and Iranian officials back to the negotiating table in Islamabad, where they had hoped to have talks earlier this week that didn’t materialize.
EU’s top diplomat notes risk of ‘weaker’ US-Iran deal
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said peace negotiations between the United States and Iran are at risk of forging a “weaker” agreement than one struck a decade ago.
“If the talks are only about the nuclear (issue) and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPoA was,” Kallas said Friday in Cyprus, referring to a 2015 deal struck during the Obama administration that Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2018.
Kallas said if negotiators do not table Iran’s “missile programs, their support to proxies, and also hybrid and cyber activities in Europe” there is a possibility “we will end up with a more dangerous Iran.”
Medical aid convoy departs Turkey for Iran
A medical aid convoy left Turkey headed for Iran, an official told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency on Friday.
The six trucks departed Van in eastern Turkey to pass through the Gurbulak border crossing, Van Health Director Muhammed Tosun said.
“The materials include medicines and medical supplies,” Tosun said.
“We previously sent three trucks. With today’s trucks, a total of nine trucks of aid materials will have been delivered to our Iranian colleagues to serve their citizens,” he said.