live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced it has protested against the move by the U.S. administration to deny visas to football federation officials and support members of Iran’s team plus the Iranians interested in watching their national team’s matches next year in the United States.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press conference on Sunday that Iran had expressed its protest to the U.S. banning members of the Iranian delegates to participate in the FIFA final draw event.
“We have expressed our protest against the U.S.'s refusal to issue visas to members of the Iranian delegation to participate in the draw ceremony, and we expect that this matter, which is completely legal and logical, will be respected by FIFA, as the organizing body and guardian of the international community.”
The Iranian Football Federation had vowed it would boycott the World Cup draw because visas had not been issued by the U.S. government to all members of its delegation, including the federation’s president.
However, it reversed the plans to boycott the event on Friday and sent a delegation to the United States.
In FIFA World Cup 2026, Iran squad will face Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand after being drawn into Group G at the next year’s tournament.
Since June, Iranian citizens have been under a ban imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration not to travel to the United States.
Baghaei reiterated that as the host country, the US is required by FIFA regulations to provide the necessary conditions for the presence of participating teams, coaches, and all relevant delegation members.
“This is an international obligation that must be accepted by a country when it is awarded the hosting status. Violation of this obligation entails international responsibility for the United States,” the Iranian diplomat added.
Tehran and Washington cut their friendly and strategic relations in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution which ousted the pro-west shah monarchy.
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
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