Key events
Bessent: US could reach deal with Iran to reopen strait of Hormuz by tomorrow
The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said Washington could reach a deal with Iran by tomorrow to reopen the strait of Hormuz.
“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
“It would be freedom of movement,” he added when asked if Iran could charge shipping tolls.
There was no immediate comment from Iran, which had earlier denied that negotiations with the US were taking place.
Qatar says diplomatic efforts ‘ongoing’ as Iran insists it does not seek to expand war
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Qatar’s foreign ministry said efforts to reach a diplomatic solution between the US and Iran were “ongoing”, despite conflicting statements from Tehran and Washington over whether negotiations had resumed.
“We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all parties,” the ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, told reporters at a briefing today.
He said negotiations were focused on “a short-term resolution that would help us reignite the talks and go back to the mediation efforts in its totality”.
He added: “Our focus right now is on lowering escalation, reopening the strait [of Hormuz], and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties.”
US president Donald Trump said yesterday that talks with Iran had resumed, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “This is the last chance for them to sign a good document.”
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, denied the Trump’s claims, saying: “We are not currently negotiating with the United States.” He said the only talks under way were discussions with Oman on reopening shipping traffic in the strait of Hormuz.
The vital waterway, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil and gas before the war, has been effectively shut since the conflict began in late February and ships attempting to cross the strait have come under attack.
In one such incident, a cargo ship near the coast of Oman in the strait of Hormuz was “hit by an unknown projectile” overnight, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The ship was ۲۰ nautical miles (۲۳ miles) north-east of the Omani port city of Al Khasab when it reported being hit, UKMTO said. The agency did not provide further details.
Reuters later reported a Liberia-flagged dry bulk ship, Minoan Pioneer, had been hit by an unknown projectile in the strait of Hormuz while sailing close to Oman’s coast. It was unclear whether this incident was related to the earlier UKMTO report.
The British maritime risk management group Vanguard said a projectile reportedly struck the vessel’s engine room and a fire broke out in the accommodation area, Reuters reported.
“The crew are fighting the fire and require assistance, while the third engineer is reported missing,” Vanguard said.
In Gaza, a mass funeral is being held for ۱۱۲ Palestinians whose bodies were recovered after nearly three years under the rubble in Gaza City. Associated Press reported they were among more than ۳۰۰ people killed on ۲۲ November ۲۰۲۳ when Israeli warplanes flattened an apartment block in the city’s Sabra neighbourhood. Their bodies were recovered over the weekend after emergency workers dug through the rubble for ۱۳۶ hours, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence.
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas in October, Israel has continued to bomb Gaza on a near daily basis since then, with July being the deadliest month of Israeli strikes so far this year. Gaza’s health ministry said ۱۵۲ people were killed last month, while heavy bombing on Sunday killed a further ۱۸ Palestinians.
Trump’s Board of Peace, established earlier this year as part of the US-brokered ceasefire, appeared to change its conditions for Israel to withdraw from Gaza after its top officials held a meeting yesterday with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We note that the withdrawal of the IDF [Israel Defense Force’] beyond the yellow line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons and the tunnels alike,” the Board of Peace said.
In its roadmap for peace published last week, the board proposed that the “complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip” be tied to the disarmament process, indicating that the two moves would happen simultaneously. But it did not say how this would happen, with both sides insisting the other make the first move.
