Iran’s offer to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days is still on the table, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media outlets on Sunday.
If Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions, the strategic waterway would be open within six days, and US-Iran talks would resume on the seventh day, he added.
Both the nations have been claiming rights over the strategic waterways since the war broke in February. The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that the strait is “closed”, while US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it remains open and that most ships pass through safely.
CENTCOM spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told media reporters that about 97 per cent of ships trying to cross the strait have done so without being hit by an Iranian projectile. He said the US military has helped protect thousands of vessels and that traffic was still moving on Saturday. “It is open, it is available for transit,” he said.
The IRGC said a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil hit a sea mine while trying to pass through what it calls the “unauthorised” strait. Iran’s ISNA agency said the blast caused a severe fire.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni armed forces reportedly carried out 1,326 precision strikes over the past 24 hours as part of an operation dubbed “Yemen Dawn”, targeting Houthi militia gatherings, vehicles, fortifications and firing positions.
In Taiz, the armed forces, backed by popular resistance groups, seized several positions and recovered heavy weapons and military equipment, while targeting Houthi reinforcements and dismantling defensive positions, the statement said.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens to follow alerts issued by the Kingdoms Defence ministry via mobile phone broadcasts amidst tensed situations and drone attacks.
The embassy said US government employees in Saudi Arabia require special authorisation from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the Kingdom.
It confirmed that operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remain suspended, while King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam are operational, with some delays and cancellations.
Moments ago, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued a warning of potential danger in the Najran region, urging residents to remain alert.
Minutes later, the authority announced that the danger had passed, indicating that the alert had been lifted.