Cargo ship hit off Oman as US-Iran clash over talks
A British maritime monitoring agency said a cargo ship reported being hit by a projectile overnight off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States and Iran made opposing claims about whether they were holding talks.
US President Donald Trump said the two sides are resuming talks to wind down the war. But Iran insisted it only was talking with Oman and the discussion focused on the Strait of Hormuz.
The cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” at 2 am local time while it was 37 kilometres (23 miles) northeast of Al Khasab in Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said.
The UKMTO did not provide further information on the ship, including what flag the vessel was sailing under or whether it was carrying cargo. The ship suffered damage, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, which did not elaborate.
The town of Al Khasab sits on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula that juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war.
The strait has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February, while the US also has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the waterway. A military spokesman for the Iranian-backed rebels, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, claimed the drone hit a “sensitive target” at the airport in the southwestern city of Najran. He did not provide evidence.
He said the drone attack was in response to what he called Saudi breaching of Yemen’s airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. The Houthis recently announced they were imposing a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea. The rebels have long been at odds with Saudi Arabia, having fought a war against the kingdom and its allies. Major fighting ended with a truce in 2022.
Pakistan invites Iranian FM Araghchi
Lahore: Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with Iran, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar inviting his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad “at the earliest” for discussions. The invitation, according to top officials familiar with the outreach, signals Islamabad’s determination to remain a key diplomatic bridge between Tehran and Washington.
It came two days after US President Donald Trump called off planned military strikes against Iran following appeals from key regional allies. However, Iran’s response to the invitation is not immediately known. “Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke today with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.
