The authorities in Dubai said that Iran had struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker. Against this background, gasoline prices in the US reach $4 per gallon (nearly 3.79 liters), world agencies reported today - the 32nd day of the war in the Middle East.
At least two Iraqi policemen were killed and two were wounded in an airstrike on the headquarters of the "Popular Mobilization Forces" in the city of Mosul. "Popular Mobilization Forces" are a coalition of mostly Shiite paramilitary factions that are formally integrated into the Iraqi security forces. Some of the militias in the "Popular Mobilization Forces" are linked to Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel carried out a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting areas associated with the "Hezbollah" group. Explosions were heard in Riyadh as Iran continued to retaliate against Gulf countries.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi again denied claims that Iran had fired missiles at Turkey. A day after the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that NATO forces had intercepted a missile believed to have been fired from Iran, Araghchi held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meanwhile warned that the coming days in the Iran war would be "decisive", confirming that talks with Tehran were continuing in parallel with military action. Hegseth refused to rule out a scenario in which US troops would be deployed on Iranian territory.
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump urged countries to take responsibility for protecting their own energy supplies and to act more actively in the Strait of Hormuz. “All those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the UK that refused to join in the beheading of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: first, buy from the US, we have plenty, and second, muster up some belated courage, go to the Strait and just TAKE it“, Trump said in a post on his “Truth Social” platform.
For his part, European Council President Antonio Costa insisted that Iran guarantee “freedom of navigation” in the Strait and called for diplomatic solutions.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that after the end of its operations, the Israeli army would remain in the “security zone” in southern Lebanon along the Litani River, signaling a potential long-term military presence. Katz also said he planned to destroy all the houses in villages near the border in southern Lebanon.
China and Pakistan have agreed to support a joint five-point proposal to end the conflict in the Middle East after nearly a month of hostilities. The agreement was reached during a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
In the United States, gasoline prices have exceeded $4 a gallon, the highest level since 2022, reflecting the global turmoil in energy markets caused by the war.