A deal is still a long way off; The United States warns that it is capable of resuming the war
WASHINGTON: The U.S. military stopped another commercial ship that was trying to breach the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, a U.S. official familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Gambian-flagged bulk carrier, the “Lyan Star”, ignored multiple warnings from US forces overnight as it attempted to enter an Iranian port. The ship was disabled by American aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and is still floating there. The official said that American forces did not board it.The United States launched the blockade on April 17 in response to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.The United States warned on Saturday that it was “more than capable” of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to its red lines, including Tehran’s never being able to develop nuclear weapons. The White House had indicated that Trump was close to making a decision on a potential deal, despite Tehran’s denial of the existence of a final agreement on ending the conflict. American sources told Agence France-Presse that the agreement is awaiting Trump’s signature, but no decision was taken after a meeting in the White House Situations Room on Friday.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, while attending a defense summit in Singapore, on Saturday, that Washington is “more than capable” of resuming the war.The United States bans Iranian buyers For military technologyThe United States announced Friday that it was “dismantling a sophisticated Iranian network” used to obtain sensitive military technology. The US State Department said in a statement that the network “impersonated and defrauded” dozens of US technology companies out of millions of dollars “to obtain advanced equipment – including spectrum analyzers and security detection devices – for the Iranian defense sector.”It did not name the technology companies that were lured into doing business through fake websites that “mimic real American companies, use intermediaries in Dubai to receive shipments, and then smuggle the technology to Iran in violation of US sanctions.” The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the network was led by Ali Majd Sepehr, who resides in Iran.Qatar approves temporary Hormuz mine clearance feesQatar opposes permanent legal fees for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, but temporary fees are negotiable and could help restore normal passage through the key waterway, a senior official said.Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said during a defense conference in Singapore that the permanent tariffs would affect consumers and that Qatar objects to any such step. He said short-term fees could be considered for mine clearance or similar purposes.These comments came in response to a question regarding talks between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman to impose a permanent toll system to formalize control of traffic through Hormuz, one of the world’s main trade routes. Iran effectively closed the waterway in response to US-Israeli air strikes that began in late February.(Inputs from AP, AFP, Bloomberg)
