Reactions and statements from the international community
According to Bloomberg, citing a senior Iranian official, Iran has reduced crude oil production due to a decline in exports caused by the U.S. maritime blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a buildup of oil in storage facilities.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Football Federation, and his delegation were denied entry to Canada at Vancouver International Airport due to Taj's history with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Subsequently, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that FIFA's General Secretary, Mathias Grafström, had issued an apology to Taj in a letter.
Iranians gathered in several European cities to protest against the Islamic Republic regime. In London, a participant told Iran International reporter Tajaddin Soroush that he wants the British government to swiftly list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group and expel Iranian diplomats from the country.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. naval blockade has severely disrupted Iran's oil exports, dismantling its "shadow" tanker network and leaving only about 40% of trade routes operational. This action has exacerbated Iran's economic crisis, leading to internal regime disagreements over whether to seek negotiations or escalate the conflict.
Hours after the US President announced dissatisfaction with Iran's new proposal for an agreement, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior official from the Islamic Republic's armed forces, stated that a renewed conflict between Iran and America is likely. Iranian media reported that Asadi claimed Iran's military has planned "surprise measures" for a potential renewed military confrontation.
China's ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Kong, has stated that maintaining the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz are "urgent priorities." He added that if the strait remains closed until U.S. President Donald Trump's next trip to Beijing, the issue will be at the top of the agenda for Trump's meeting with the Chinese president.
A new investigative report reveals that Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange used by millions of ordinary Iranians to protect their assets, has also become a key conduit for transferring funds to sanctioned institutions such as the Central Bank and the Revolutionary Guards.
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told the Financial Times that President Donald Trump must "finish the job" in Iran, suggesting more aggressive military operations if the Islamic Republic continues "provocative" behavior, including opening the Strait of Hormuz and targeting Kharg Island to disrupt Iran's oil exports.
Major retailers in the UAE, including Carrefour, have begun using Iran's historical Lion and Sun flag for Iranian produce instead of the Islamic Republic's flag.
A senior Islamic Republic official has outlined Tehran’s proposed plan to end the war with the United States and Israel, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting economic sanctions, and continuing nuclear negotiations, in an interview with Reuters. However, U.S. President Donald Trump stated he is "not satisfied" with the proposal, citing demands he cannot agree to, without providing further details.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued an official alert warning that payments to Iran for "safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz could result in U.S. sanctions against individuals and companies making such payments, following recent actions by Tehran in the strategic waterway.
A senior Iranian official confirmed to Reuters that Tehran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the U.S. naval blockade, while deferring nuclear talks to a later stage, a proposal that U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected without providing specific details of his objections.
