Iran Proposes Strait Reopening Deal Amid Middle East Tensions
A proposal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program has been floated, but its prospects are uncertain.
The plan would see Iran restore access to the critical waterway in seven days if the US lifts its naval blockade and waives oil sanctions, while also observing a ceasefire that includes Lebanon. However, US President Donald Trump has expressed no hurry to reach a deal, and some Iranian hardliners may resist compromises championed by moderates like President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, has called on the kingdom's troops to be prepared to defend against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Al-Fawzan issued a rare statement, peppering it with Quranic verses and religious edicts.
In Gaza, two Israeli soldiers were killed on Thursday while inspecting an unexploded Israeli drone near a military post. The incident is under investigation, but the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has seen almost daily Israeli fire, resulting in 1,408 Palestinian deaths since last October's truce.