The US has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. The State Department's decision applies only to the kingdom, not all US diplomatic missions in the Persian Gulf.
“This is inaccurate“, wrote State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott on the social network X regarding reports of a wider withdrawal. He specified that the order to leave was issued only for non-essential US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia.
Washington cited attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia as the reason. According to the State Department, the attacks also targeted civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, causing civilian casualties and serious disruption to travel.
Tanker incident off Oman
Against this backdrop, the British Maritime Operations Office (UKMTO) reported an incident involving a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. According to information provided by the crew, the ship was hit by an unknown projectile off the Omani coast, about 11 nautical miles from the city of Buha. A fire broke out after the impact.
The crew is safe, the tanker is at anchor, and there are currently no reports of marine pollution. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the incident.
The Iranian Fars news agency also reported an explosion north of the coast of Oman. The area is close to places where tankers suspected of violating the blockade have previously been attacked. This information is not accompanied by independent confirmation of the cause of the explosion, the name of the vessel or the number of victims.
Moscow offers mediation
Russia is ready to mediate in the Middle East conflict if all parties express interest in such a role. This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko to “Izvestia“.
“If all parties show such interest, we are ready to be a mediator“, Rudenko said.According to him, Moscow has already offered assistance in finding a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, but then its proposals did not receive the necessary support.
Sources: apnews.com, aa.com.tr, thedailystar.net