Iran.- Tension is rising in the
Strait of Hormuz with the capture of two ships by Iran after the extension of the ceasefire, and without a new round of negotiations in Pakistan in sight for the moment.
Meanwhile, in Washington, representatives from Israel and Lebanon are meeting for the second time to explore the end of the conflict, although Israel maintains almost daily attacks in the south of the neighboring country.
Pakistan maintains efforts to salvage US-Iran negotiations
Pakistan maintains “every possible effort, at all levels” to save the second round of negotiations between Washington and Iran scheduled in Islamabad.
The Pakistani capital remains fortified, awaiting both parties to agree to resume dialogue, but the tension in the Strait of Hormuz does not allow, for the moment, to harbor hopes.
Iran says payments for transit through Hormuz are already reaching its Central Bank
The
vice president of the Iranian Parliament, Hamidreza Haji Babaei, stated this Thursday that the first payments of the tolls charged to ships for transit through the Strait of Hormuz have begun to be deposited in the country’s Central Bank.
“The first payments for the toll of the
Strait of Hormuz have been received by the Central Bank,” said Babaei, several Iranian media reported.
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Iran has announced its intention to formalize the charging for transit through the strategic strait with the approval of a bill that has received the green light from a parliamentary commission, although it still has to be voted on in the plenary session of the chamber.
At the moment, it is unknown how much the Islamic Republic charges to cross the strait, the currency in which it charges, or the amount it has already received.
The Shah’s heir criticizes the ceasefire in Iran and calls the offensive a “humanitarian intervention”
Reza Pahlavi, heir to the Iranian shah deposed in 1979 by the Islamic Revolution, asked this Thursday for the resumption of what he called a “humanitarian intervention” by the US in his country, and criticized the current ceasefire for offering a respite to a regime in Tehran with which, in his opinion, it makes no sense to negotiate.
“It’s a golden opportunity, the regime has never been as fragile as it is now,” he stated at a press conference in Berlin, in which he lamented that the temporary cessation of attacks may confuse those who were considering defecting from the state apparatus and thus halt the collapse process that, according to him, is occurring.
Lebanon condemns as a “war crime” the killing of a journalist in an Israeli attack
The
Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, and the
Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, condemned this Thursday as “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” the killing of journalists in Israeli attacks, following the death on Wednesday of Amal Khalil, a reporter for the local newspaper Al Akhbar, in an Israeli bombing in the south of the country.
“Israel’s deliberate and direct attacks on journalists aim to conceal the truth about its acts of aggression against Lebanon. These acts constitute crimes against humanity, punishable under international laws and conventions, and should motivate the international community to intervene and put an end to them,” said Aoun.
Brent rises more than 1% and surpasses $103 amid lack of progress in the Middle East
The
Brent crude oil for delivery in June rises this Thursday by more than 1% and exceeds 103 dollars in the London futures market, while the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, as do the peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.
At 7:00 a.m., the price of Brent crude, the benchmark in Europe, increased by 1.28%, to $103.21 per barrel, in what could be its fourth consecutive day of increases.
U.S. Denies Commercial Ships Have Bypassed Its Blockade of Iranian Ports
The
United States Army has denied that commercial ships have bypassed its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by international media.
According to the Pentagon, U.S. sailors have so far prevented the passage of 29 ships.
