live Trump delays Iran bombing deadline to 6 April as Tehran rejects 15-point peace plan - Friday 27 March
U.S. President Donald Trump has extended his timeline on striking against Iran's energy sites, as Tehran says diplomacy is ongoing...
The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies that it is willing to participate in a multinational maritime taskforce aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The UAE is seeking to rally dozens of countries to form a “Hormuz Security Force” to protect shipping from Iranian attacks and escort vessels through the vital waterway.
The move comes as Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas, spiking energy prices and fuelling global inflation fears.
According to the sources in the article, Abu Dhabi plans to deploy its own navy as part of the effort. “The focus is on creating as broad an international force as possible,” one official said.
“It’s not about going to war with Iran. Iran went to war on the global economy, and people need to stand up,” the official added.
The UAE said it's also collaborating with Bahrain on a United Nations Security Council resolution to give the proposed taskforce an official mandate, although opposition from Russia and China could complicate the plan.
So far, Bahrain is the only other Gulf state openly backing the initiative, though the UAE hopes to secure support from Saudi Arabia and additional international partners.
Senior Emirati minister Sultan al-Jaber emphasised the economic stakes. “Iran holds Hormuz hostage. Every nation pays the ransom, at the gas pump, at the grocery store, at the pharmacy.”
While the U.S. has called for NATO allies to assist in securing the strait, many have yet to commit ships, with France indicating it will consider involvement only once hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran have ended.
The UAE, which has a relatively small but modern navy, is positioning itself at the forefront of an effort to ensure the free flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the country’s growing frustration with repeated Iranian attacks on its ports and shipping lanes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the administration was working to allow ships to transit the strait “as quickly as we can.”
Israel said it had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy, on Thursday, as confict in the Middle East continued.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war, insisting any ceasefire will occur only on its own terms and timeline, according to a senior political-security official speaking to state-run Press TV on Wednesday.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), said on Wednesday that the U.S. had “clearly made a mistake” in launching strikes on Iran, arguing Washington misjudged the resilience of the Iranian regime.
Russia’s Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, major export terminals, suspended loadings of crude oil and refined products on Wednesday after large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks triggered a blaze, sources told Reuters.
Northern European countries must significantly boost military drone production to help Ukraine defeat Russia, Latvia’s Prime Minister has said, warning that victory would be “impossible” without greater support.
Iran’Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has rejected an offer of negotiations from the U.S. President, Donald Trump, amid the ongoing Israel–U.S. war with Iran, describing the proposal as a “contradiction” in Washington’s words and actions.
Former rapper turned politician Balendra Shah, was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister on Friday, becoming the youngest leader in decades and the first Madhesi - from the southern plains bordering India - to hold the country’s top office.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would pause attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days at Tehran's request and said talks with Iran were going "very well," although an Iranian official dismissed a U.S. proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting as "one-sided and unfair."
The Trump administration is reportedly reviewing plans to deploy up to 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East, raising tensions even as Washington engages in delicate negotiations with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump has extended his timeline on striking against Iran's energy sites, as Tehran says diplomacy is ongoing - latest on Middle East conflict.
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