Reactions and statements from the international community
A video published in Iranian media shows Masoud Pezeshkian attending the 40th-day memorial ceremony for Ali Khamenei in Tehran, surrounded by a tight circle of masked security personnel and bodyguards.
Reuters reports that only one tanker and five dry bulk carriers passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
On Thursday, the head of Russia's state-owned Rosatom company, Alexey Likhachev, stated that the company is prepared to assist in resolving Iran's issue with highly enriched uranium and that Moscow's proposals remain available. This statement follows previous discussions where Russia had transferred Iran's enriched uranium, including approximately 25,000 pounds during the JCPOA agreement period.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, spoke by phone on Wednesday night with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, discussing regional developments and the ceasefire agreement. Araghchi criticized U.S. military actions against Iran during nuclear negotiations, while bin Farhan expressed hope for lasting peace and stability in the region.
Reuters reported that the NATO Secretary General has informed member states that former President Donald Trump is seeking specific commitments from them in the coming days to help ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, Trump had criticized NATO's approach to the conflict with Iran and the lack of support from member countries in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Republic has announced that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week ceasefire with the United States must pay one dollar per barrel of oil in cryptocurrency. According to Hamid Hosseini, spokesman for the Union of Exporters of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products, ships must email their cargo details and pay with Bitcoin within a few seconds to comply with the new measure aimed at preventing weapon transfers and controlling ship passage.
According to data from the ship tracking company Kpler, since the establishment of a temporary ceasefire between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, oil tanker and gas-carrying vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ceased, with only four bulk carriers passing through. Iranian state television officially announced on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz is completely closed.
Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for Vice President JD Vance and other architects of the Iran ceasefire to testify before Congress, stating they must explain how the agreement aligns with U.S. national security goals.
U.S. President Trump reportedly issued an ultimatum to European nations to deploy military forces, including warships, to the Strait of Hormuz within days.
Prior to the recent conflict in Iran, the United Arab Emirates acted as a key sanctions circumventer for the Islamic Republic, providing shelter to IRGC-linked money launderers and facilitating the transfer of billions of dollars to Iran. Now, the UAE is reportedly upset and angry over the situation.
Eight Hezbollah operatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a cemetery in Chmistar, Bekaa Valley, where they had gathered for the funeral of another member.
Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, stated that Iran will support Hezbollah and retaliate against Israel, blaming the U.S. for the ceasefire's collapse and warning that any U.S. violation of the ceasefire will not be tolerated.
