Iran's top security body to decide on Hormuz closure, Press TV reports
Iran has long used the threat of closing the Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, as a way to ward off Western pressure which is now at its peak after the overnight U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.
The decision to close the strait is not yet final and it was not officially reported that parliament had in fact adopted a bill to that effect.
Instead, a member of parliament's national security commission Esmail Kosari was quoted on other Iranian media as saying: "For now, [parliament has] come to the conclusion we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council."
Kosari, who is also a Revolutionary Guards Commander, had earlier on Sunday told the Young Journalist Club that closing the strait was on the agenda and "will be done whenever necessary".
Asked about whether Tehran would close the waterway, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi dodged the question on Sunday and replied: "A variety of options are available to Iran."
The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Mideast Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.
It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles (3 km) wide in either direction. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Explainer-Zelenskiy's move against Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press conference on the first day of the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025), on plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine, in Rome, Italy, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is under pressure at home and abroad for stripping the independence of anti-corruption agencies whose work is seen as essential to Kyiv's path to join the European Union. Amendments giving his appointed prosecutor more power over the two investigative bodies have drawn criticism from top EU officials and sparked the country's largest wartime protests. Here is what it means: WHAT ARE UKRAINE'S ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCIES? The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) were set up after a 2014 revolution toppled a pro-Russian president and set Kyiv on a Western course. They are responsible for independently weeding out high-level graft, a central requirement for Ukraine to receive billions of dollars in Western aid and join the 27-member EU. The agencies have stepped up their work during Russia's full-scale invasion, producing charges against lawmakers, senior government officials and a former deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore's domestic recycling rate drops to all-time low of 11% Singapore Male victim of fatal Toa Payoh fire was known to keep many things, say residents Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Singapore Five teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Money, housing and isolation the biggest struggles for youth leaving children's homes: Study Singapore Sota parent portal taken down for urgent patching following global cyberattack alerts Singapore COE prices for cars mostly unchanged; premium for commercial vehicles up 2.9% Singapore Cyclist charged after allegedly hitting elderly pedestrian, killing him Last month, they accused a deputy prime minister of accepting a $345,000 kickback. WHY HAVE THEIR POWERS BEEN CURBED? In a late-night address on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said the agencies needed to be "cleansed" of Russian influence and their work strengthened and sped up. A day earlier, Kyiv's domestic security agency had arrested two NABU officials on suspicion of ties to Russia and conducted sweeping searches into agency employees, a move critics described as excessive. The new measures, which were fast-tracked in large part by Zelenskiy's ruling party, allow the general prosecutor to transfer cases away from the agencies and re-assign prosecutors, several lawmakers said. Critics, including an anti-corruption campaigner charged this month with fraud and evading military service, have alleged the crackdown was a politically motivated response to their work. WHAT WAS THE REACTION? After the vote, the EU's enlargement commissioner said she was "seriously concerned" about the measures, and on Wednesday Germany's foreign minister warned Kyiv against hampering its path to the EU. At home, thousands of Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv just steps away from the site of the 2014 uprising, which itself was sparked by a democratic rollback and threats to Ukraine's European integration. Fighting corruption and embracing the West, especially since Moscow's 2022 invasion, are seen as critical to erasing a legacy of Russian rule. Ukrainians are furious at signs of corruption and misrule at a time when tens of thousands of troops have been killed on the front fending off Russia. "My brother didn't die for this kind of future," read a placard at the Kyiv protest. WHAT'S NEXT? On Wednesday, Zelenskiy said he had met with anti-corruption and security officials to hash out a joint plan within two weeks to better combat corruption. Writing on X, he said the officials would aim to "resolve existing contradictions, and eliminate threats". "We all hear what society is saying," he said. "We see what people expect from state institutions." Still, NABU and SAPO said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they wanted their independence restored through legislation. Meanwhile, lawmakers pledged to challenge the amendments while Ukrainians on social media called for continuing public protests. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tariffs and conflicts loom large over Merz and Macron's working dinner
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at a hotel prior to an E3 meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 24, 2025. Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo BERLIN - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host French President Emmanuel Macron for talks over dinner in Berlin on Wednesday, with Europe's battle to soften incoming U.S. tariffs and support for Ukraine expected to top a packed agenda. The meeting, taking place at Villa Borsig in the German capital's leafy outskirts, brings together the leaders of Europe's two largest economies as trade negotiations approach President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline. "Of course, the question of how we react to the threat of tariffs on August 1 is a central focus, and also the security situation in Ukraine," Merz's chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, told the ZDF broadcaster. "The fact that the agenda is so full shows that the relationship between Germany and France is not only good but extremely important," Frei said, adding that a number of other topics would be discussed. Conservative Merz has courted a more unified front with France on a range of issues, from European defence to diplomacy with Iran, and criticised his predecessor Olaf Scholz for neglecting Germany's relations with its neighbour. However, sticking points remain. Germany's signature was missing from a letter signed by France and 27 other Western countries calling on Israel to immediately end the war. Merz has been increasingly critical of Israel but his chief of staff said the letter was not clear enough that Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks had triggered the conflict. Merz and Macron are also expected to discuss the FCAS Franco-German-Spanish fighter jet project, whose future has been called into question amid a growing feud with Europe's Airbus over control of the program. REUTERS
AsiaOne
11 hours ago
- AsiaOne
All options on the table if Israel does not deliver on Gaza pledges, EU's Kallas says, World News
BRUSSELS — All options are on the table if Israel does not deliver on its pledges to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza, the European Union's (EU) top diplomat said on Tuesday (July 22). "The killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote in a post on X, adding that she spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar "to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that Israel Defence Forces must stop killing people at distribution points". Earlier this month, Kallas said Israel had agreed to expand humanitarian access to Gaza, including increasing the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution hubs. "All options remain on the table if Israel doesn't deliver on its pledges," Kallas said. On Monday, two dozen Western countries called for Israel to immediately end its war in Gaza and criticised what they described as "inhumane killing" of Palestinians, saying it was "horrifying" that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid. Israel's foreign ministry called Monday's statement "disconnected from reality" and said it would send the wrong message to Hamas. Gaza health officials have said more than 59,000 Palestinians have died during the 21-month conflict in Gaza. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. [[nid:720206]]
