Latest Middle East news! The Strait of Hormuz makes another major headline

Focus on the latest developments in the Middle East.

Late on March 29 local time, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dar issued a statement saying that, regarding the issue of peacefully resolving the conflict, Pakistan’s leadership has been in communication with the U.S. leadership, and both the United States and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate negotiations.

Earlier, on March 26 local time, U.S. President Trump said that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a “gift.” Of those, 8 oil tankers loaded with oil were sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, and the tankers were flying the Pakistani flag. On the same day at a cabinet meeting, Trump said, “They (Iran) are begging to reach an agreement. Let’s see if we can reach one. If we can reach the right agreement, then the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”

However, on March 29, multiple Iranian government officials took turns to comment, opposing the U.S. negotiation conditions and saying they will adhere to retaliatory measures.

Baqaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that day that the relevant proposals submitted to Iran by the U.S. through a mediator are extremely extreme and unreasonable. These proposals concern Iran’s basic rights and do not reflect goodwill or a serious diplomatic approach. He also said that Iran will use all means to prevent being attacked again. Iran’s military actions will not target Arab countries; they will only target U.S. military bases and assets that are used for actions against Iran.

Kalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, said that the United States is issuing negotiation signals in public while secretly planning a ground offensive, and also put forward a so-called “15-point plan” to end the fighting, attempting to achieve goals it could not attain during the war. Kalibaf also said that the fighting is at the most critical moment. U.S. fighter jets and aircraft carriers have suffered massive losses, and Israel has also been hit. These strike actions are “precise and innovative.” Kalibaf emphasized that the United States seeks Iran’s surrender, and Iran will never accept humiliation.

Akhlarminia, a spokesperson for Iran’s Army, said that the core issue between the United States and Iran is absolutely not the nuclear issue, but Iran’s sovereignty and independence.

In addition, Iran’s Navy Commander Irani said that Iran is closely monitoring the location and movements of the U.S. “Lincoln” aircraft carrier strike group. Once the “Lincoln” aircraft carrier strike group enters its range, Iran will launch missiles from the coast to strike at sea.

Regarding the U.S. threats of carrying out ground operations against Iran, on the 29th, the spokesperson of the Hatam-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran’s armed forces issued a statement saying, “If the relevant threats are carried out, Iran’s armed forces will resolutely retaliate.”

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran. Iran retaliated against Israel and targets such as U.S. military bases in the Middle East, and the fighting has continued to this day.

As for the latest developments in the fighting, on the 29th local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an announcement saying it launched the 86th wave of the “True Commitment-4” operation, and that the aerial combat and drone infrastructure and ammunition depots located at the U.S. military bases in Victoria, Arifjan, and Alhajim were hit by missiles and drones.

That same day, Iran’s military said it was informed that Iran’s air defense forces of the army’s air defense unit shot down an MQ-9 “Reaper” drone. The military said that an MQ-9 drone belonging to the U.S.-Israeli enemy was intercepted by the monitoring network of the air defense system in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz, successfully hit, and then crashed and disintegrated. The MQ-9 is one of the long-endurance armed drones used by the U.S. military, with an estimated unit cost of about $30 million.

On the U.S. and Israeli side, the U.S. newspaper The Washington Post, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported that the Pentagon is preparing for a “multi-week ground operation” in Iran.

The U.S. Central Command said that U.S. sailors and Marines arrived at the responsibility area of U.S. Central Command aboard the amphibious assault ship “Tripoli,” and posted a statement denying that U.S. personnel were attacked in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, Israel said that Israel carried out large-scale airstrikes on multiple military infrastructure sites in Iran’s capital, Tehran. The strike targets include the headquarters of Iran’s Shipbuilding Industry Organization and multiple weapon production facilities. In addition, over the past two days, Israel carried out several rounds of large-scale airstrikes simultaneously in Iran and Lebanon, striking more than 250 targets.

It is worth noting that, during this more-than-month-long U.S.-Israeli-Iran conflict, a major global energy transport artery—the Strait of Hormuz—has been severely affected. Large numbers of oil tankers have been stuck or diverted, causing international oil prices to surge.

On March 27, local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying that the Strait of Hormuz is currently closed, and any attempt to pass through the strait will be met with severe strikes. On March 28, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Dar said that the Iranian government has agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with two ships passing through the strait each day thereafter.

In addition, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz together form the two major “chokepoints” for Middle East oil exports. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden; it is the “chokepoint” linking the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean, and at its narrowest point it is only about 30 kilometers wide. It is known as the “water corridor” connecting three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa. According to available data, about 12% of global trade transportation and nearly the same proportion of seaborne oil trade pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

At present, Yemen’s Houthi forces have joined the fighting, launching two rounds of attacks against Israel. During the previous Israel-Palestine conflict, the Houthi forces had repeatedly struck Israel-related vessels in the Red Sea as retaliation for Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, demonstrating their military capability to operate across the Red Sea.

Some analysts believe that if the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz are blocked in tandem, it could further drive the sustained surge in crude oil prices. At that time, the global economy would have to simultaneously face a series of severe pressures, including shipping disruptions, rising logistics costs, inflation running out of control triggered by energy shortages, and manufacturing being forced to cut production due to disruptions in the supply of raw materials.

However, since August 28 the Houthis began military strikes against Israel, all of their strike means have been missile and drone attacks, and the targets have also been within Israel. At present, the Houthis have not yet designated Red Sea cargo ships or oil tankers as targets of attack, and they have not issued a final official statement regarding the blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Some analysts believe that the Houthis currently still treat the blockade of Red Sea shipping as a retained option to constrain the U.S. and Israel. If the Iran-aligned camp falls into a passive position in the future, they may further escalate their actions.

Early this morning (30th), both U.S. oil and Brent crude opened higher across the board, with gains of more than 2% at present. Brent crude at ICE closed above the $107 per barrel mark, while WTI crude is above $102 per barrel.

U.S. stock index futures are down across the board.

(Source: Securities Times)