Iran and Oman’s top diplomats met on Tuesday to discuss a phased approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely closed nearly six months after the war with Iran began. The talks came after an oil tanker was disabled in an attack off the coast of Oman, underscoring the ongoing dangers for shipping companies trying to use the waterway while it is under Iranian control. Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and across the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here. Iran, Oman issue statement on talks to manage strait Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaid met with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, Iran’s capital, to discuss a framework for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. AP AUDIO: Iran and Oman hold talks on Strait of Hormuz management and other news from around the Middle East AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports that another oil tanker has been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, as talks in Oman conclude. A joint statement from the two countries, located on opposite sides of the strait, said the proposed framework includes a “joint temporary navigation corridor” and that both countries are working to clear mines from the waterway. The statement said Iran and Oman will continue technical negotiations to establish a permanent maritime corridor and an agreement on the future management of the strait. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that the two countries had reached an understanding on a temporary route. Traffic to the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters, while the exit route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s territorial waters. Iran and Oman would then hold negotiations for 30 to 60 days to “reach an understanding on a new permanent and sustainable route,” he said. About a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the strait before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. It is unknown whether the United States will accept the emerging agreement. US President Donald Trump threatened last week to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of US efforts to reopen the strait. Iran’s president and other senior officials also discussed the strait with a Pakistani delegation that left Tehran on Tuesday following talks on reviving negotiations to end the conflict between Iran and the United States, the Pakistani military said. Tanker hit and disabled off east coast of Oman An attack on a tanker on Monday night off the coast of Oman disabled the ship’s engine, the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Organization said. He said the entire crew was reported safe. There were no immediate reports of any environmental impacts. Iran periodically fires on ships attempting to transit the strait to assert its control of the waterway, although there was no immediate claim for Monday’s attack. The United States also fired on ships and imposed a blockade of Iranian ports. Subscribe to Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the day’s biggest headlines. There are no answers a year after Israeli soldiers killed 22 Palestinians, including journalists and rescuers. Tuesday marked one year since Israeli soldiers killed 22 Palestinians, including journalists and rescuers, in a double attack on a Gaza hospital that sparked global outrage. Nobody has been held accountable. Israeli officials said the target was a suspected Hamas camera on the roof of Nasser Hospital. Among the dead were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for The Associated Press and other news organizations. Despite repeated requests from the AP, the military has not provided details about the investigation or a timeline for when it might be completed. Human rights groups say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing to lengthy investigations that rarely lead to prosecution. China warns of threat of US sanctions disrupting its cooperation with Iran China’s Foreign Ministry says it is closely monitoring plans announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to expand sanctions on entities and individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said cooperation between China and Iran “should not be interrupted or undermined,” noting that it complies with international law. China is one of Iran’s largest trading partners and buys the majority of its total oil exports. The Treasury Department said Monday it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 entities linked to Iran, including several based in China. He stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran. Israeli strikes kill at least 4 people in GazaAn Israeli strike killed at least three people on Tuesday in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the victims. Another attack, northwest of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killed at least one Palestinian and wounded four, according to the city’s Nasser hospital. Separately, Medical Aid for Palestine, a UK-based charity providing health and humanitarian assistance, said an Israeli airstrike destroyed a warehouse belonging to a local partner in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The warehouse stored nutritional supplies for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers, the charity said. The Israeli military said it struck a suspected militant in southern Gaza and several targets it described as Hamas infrastructure in Jabaliya. He had no immediate comment on the warehouse strike. Palestinians in Gaza face severe food shortages, and many displaced families rely on scarce humanitarian aid and soup kitchens for their meals. Israeli forces seize vocational school run by U.N. agency Israel on Tuesday seized a U.N.-run facility housing a vocational school on the outskirts of Jerusalem, advancing its campaign against the U.N. agency that provides humanitarian services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the agency, known as UNRWA, does not own the land. Israel cited similar reasoning when its forces demolished the agency’s former headquarters in east Jerusalem in January. Acting U.N. Middle East coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov called the seizure illegal and said it deprived 340 Palestinian refugees of educational services. Israel has accused UNRWA of anti-Israel bias and at times employing Palestinian militants. The United Nations and UNRWA have denied the allegations and say they investigate credible allegations and act quickly to purge suspected militants among staff.
