The new leader of Iran’s top security body is threatening his neighbors not to join new American efforts to squeeze Tehran’s economy. Egypt is trying to revive negotiations between Iran and the United States. And Iraq and Iran say Tehran has helped some ships carrying Iraqi oil transit the Strait of Hormuz. France and Saudi Arabia are expected to discuss plans to encircle the waterway. Meanwhile, Israel has carried out attacks in Syria and Gaza. Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the broader Middle East on Saturday. Full coverage can be found here. Iran’s new top security adviser issues threats The new hardline leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council threatened Tehran’s neighbors not to join a new U.S. effort to damage Iran’s economy, and accused the United States of increasing global nuclear insecurity with months of war. “If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic way,” he said in an interview with the state broadcaster that aired Saturday. Mohsen Rezaei was named this month as part of high-level appointments widely seen as a hardening of Tehran’s political and military stance. His interview with IRIB is his most extensive public statement since then. Rezaei said Iran would attack oil shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf (alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz) if the neighbors join what he described as economic war against Iran. Those neighbors would be considered enemies and “we will attack their interests,” he said. US President Donald Trump last week vowed to increase Iran’s pain by imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation. Iran has lived under sanctions for years. Rezaei said talks were ongoing with Oman, located across the strait, about its management and that tariffs would be imposed. Iran asserted its control over what was considered an international waterway shortly after the US-Israeli attack on February 28. Rezaei also promised to make changes to Iran’s diplomacy and bring new capabilities to what he called the next war. He warned the United States against sending more military personnel to the region and said the United States had increased nuclear insecurity because countries see that participating in international monitoring efforts, as Iran has done, is no protection against attack. Egypt tries to revive US-Iran negotiations Top diplomats from Egypt and Iran discussed efforts to get Tehran and Washington back to the negotiating table to resolve the war, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty also discussed talks between Iran and Oman, the ministry said. Araghchi briefed Egypt’s Foreign Minister on “Iran’s view on ongoing events, the course of negotiations and their challenges,” the ministry said, without elaborating. Araghchi confirmed the call. Separately, Araghchi said he had a call with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Subscribe to Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the day’s biggest headlines. Iran and Iraq say some Iraqi oil is supplied through the strait. The governments of Iraq and Iran said Tehran has helped some ships carrying Iraqi oil transit the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil, natural gas and other global supplies, but there were few details. “There is facilitation for some ships carrying Iraqi oil in the Strait of Hormuz,” Iraqi President Nizar Amidi said in comments published Saturday by the state news agency, adding that Iraq does not have a national carrier for transporting oil. Iran’s state news agency IRNA said several Iraqi oil tankers have been allowed to transit. It was unclear how many or what Iran might have received in return. Syria says Israeli drone strikes inside village An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle injured one person on Saturday in the village of Beit Jin in southwestern Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA. Syria’s Foreign Ministry said several civilians were injured and called the attack a flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty. The Israeli military said it was targeting a “terrorist who advanced terrorist attacks in the final stages of preparation,” without giving further details. It was not immediately clear if this was the same attack. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria after the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad in late 2024, mainly destroying army assets to keep them out of the hands of his successors. Messages differ on Golan Heights In an interview Friday with Mario Nawfal, a Lebanese-Australian businessman, U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack said Israel “still” occupies the Golan Heights in violation of U.N. resolutions. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement on Saturday called Barrack’s comments “full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict Trump’s own position.” annexed it in 1981. The UN considers the territory occupied Syrian territory. But in March 2019, Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, reversing decades of US policy. The French president and the Saudi crown prince will meet. French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are expected to discuss plans to develop alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz during the Saudi leader’s two-day visit to Paris that begins Sunday, according to presidential officials who were not authorized to be named publicly. The proposals include increasing trade through Omani ports outside the Persian Gulf, expanding or doubling oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, and developing new rail links, officials said. France and Saudi Arabia have formed a working group on energy and logistics connections between the Middle East and Europe that will meet at ministerial level on Monday. Officials said work would focus on identifying the most strategic projects, securing financing and establishing roles for French companies. Angela Charlton, AP Paris correspondent Israeli strike in Gaza kills Palestinian An Israeli strike in the backyard of a home in central Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded another on Saturday, according to health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. underground infrastructure.” Days earlier, a US negotiator reportedly asked Israel to reduce attacks as it sought to advance the ceasefire.
