US-Iran War Highlights: Israel refuses Lebanon exit until Hezbollah is demilitarised

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The United Nations maritime agency announced on that it had paused the evacuation of around 11,000 seafarers aboard nearly 600 ships that have been stranded since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the recent US-Iran conflict.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the decision was taken after a vessel was damaged in the Gulf of Oman, prompting the agency to reassess security conditions before allowing further transits.

“I have decided to temporarily pause the implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” Dominguez said in a statement.

A cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, prompting a maritime security advisory from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center.

According to the UKMTO, the incident occurred approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman. The projectile hit the vessel on its starboard side, causing damage to the ship’s bridge.

“A cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge,” the UKMTO said in an advisory issued to the shipping industry.

The UKMTO did not identify the source of the projectile or provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the strike.

US says it is open to a deal with Iran to end the war, but “not at any price,” according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio rejects any proposal involving tolls or fees in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it unacceptable under any agreement.

He argues that whether it is called a “toll” or “fee” is irrelevant, describing it as a “game of semantics.”

US position: charging for passage through the Strait of Hormuz would not be acceptable in any negotiated deal framework.

Rubio warns such a move could set a global precedent, with other countries imposing similar charges on key waterways.

He cautions this could lead to widespread disruption and “chaos” in global maritime trade.

Remarks were delivered in Bahrain at the end of his Gulf tour, during a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and Oman will hold talks to define the future administration and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz.

The discussions follow a recent joint statement issued in Muscat.

Araqchi said he held a productive phone conversation with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

Both countries agreed to continue consultations on the future of the strategically important waterway.

At least three ships, including two oil supertankers, appeared to turn around while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the Oman coastal route.

The vessels were using a recently established shipping corridor that runs close to Oman’s coastline.

The reason for the U-turns was not immediately clear.

Two maritime intelligence firms published broadcasts purportedly from the Iranian navy, instructing ships not to use the route.

Despite the reported warnings, not all vessels reversed course.

Some ships continued along the Oman route, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

In addition to the three outbound U-turns, a fourth vessel reportedly turned around after approaching Hormuz from the Gulf of Oman.

Israel said it will not withdraw troops from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and demilitarised.

The statement came as Israel and Lebanon continue US-mediated talks in Washington.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer outlined Israel’s position during a media briefing.

Israel maintains that Hezbollah remains a security threat and therefore conditions for withdrawal have not been met.

“We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised,” Mencer said.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased on Thursday as more vessels resumed operations.

Oil tankers began using a new shipping route promoted by a UN maritime agency.

The route is being viewed as a potential breakthrough for global shipping after months of disruption caused by the Iran conflict.

The development comes as the United States and Iran continue negotiations on an interim peace agreement.

Several tankers, led by the Stoic Warrior, successfully navigated the new passage.

The route runs along the coast of Oman, close to the Musandam Peninsula.

The corridor was developed jointly by Oman and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The alternative passage is designed to help ships avoid areas considered risky following the conflict.

Global oil prices fell on Thursday to their lowest levels since before the Iran conflict began.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped to around $72–73 per barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell below $70 per barrel.

The decline erased much of the geopolitical risk premium that had supported prices during the conflict.

Oil prices had surged to as high as $120 per barrel at the peak of Middle East tensions earlier this year.

Easing concerns over supply disruptions in the region helped drive prices lower.

Both Brent and WTI are now trading near levels last seen in late February, before the outbreak of hostilities.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel and Lebanon are making good progress in talks held in Washington.

“I think we are very close in our hopes of getting a commitment of intent between the two countries,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Bahrain.

“It’ll be a process, it’ll take some time, it’ll take a lot of work, but I can tell you that for the first time in 30 years, the sovereign government of Lebanon is speaking to the government of Israel directly.”

Iraq is working to restore full oil export capacity after the Iran war sharply reduced exports and aims to raise production to 7 million barrels per day in the coming years, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a government spokesperson.

The spokesperson declined to comment further on Iraq’s OPEC quota or whether Baghdad was considering leaving the group.

Rubio said the United States would not accept the Strait of Hormuz belonging to any single nation, adding that whether Iran described payments as a toll or a fee was “all semantics.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday warned against any crossings of the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation, saying vessels not complying “will be dealt with”.

The future of the strait, a vital route for energy shipments that was blockaded by Iran during the war, is a key sticking point in negotiations between Tehran and Washington. (AFP)

During his last stop in Bahrain as part of his Gulf tour, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington DC would not be accepting the Strait of Hormuz as belonging to any country, as per a report by Al Jazeera. “We want a deal with Iran, we don’t want a deal at any price,” he said, as per the report.

Shipping group Maersk said on Thursday the ​Maersk Baltimore and a ​vessel time-chartered to Maersk ⁠successfully exited the Persian ​Gulf late on ​June 24 and into the early hours of June 25.

“The ​transits were completed ​in close coordination with our ‌security ⁠partners and followed thorough security assessments,” Maersk said in a statement. (Reuters)

– Iraq will be compelled to consider all available options if ​its OPEC quota is not significantly increased, ‌a senior Iraqi oil ministry official told Reuters on Thursday.

Separate sources told Reuters Iraqi officials ​had considered leaving OPEC, but the ​current plan was to remain a ⁠member and seek a higher quota.

“New geopolitical facts cannot be imposed on the Arab Gulf states as a result of a treacherous aggression against them. For imposing a fait accompli from the womb of aggression does not establish stability; rather, it sows new seeds of discord and conflict for the future,” Gargash said, adding, “And this is precisely what applies to the Strait of Hormuz.”

Tehran accused NATO on Thursday of “complicity” in the US-Israeli war against Iran, after the bloc’s chief noted its support for the United States in the conflict.

Responding to US President Donald Trump’s criticism of allies for not supporting the war, NATO boss Mark Rutte told Fox News that hundreds of American planes launched from bases in Italy. (AFP)

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has repeatedly voted with Democrats to halt the war, voted present this time “to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace,” he said on X. The measure failed 47-50-1.

After his face-off with Trump at the Capitol, Cassidy received a personal briefing on the war at the White House from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff and returned to the Capitol to vote against a separate war powers resolution.