Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at a potential plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Myanmar\u2019s junta\u2019s pursuit of political legitimacy, and domestic mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n
No Deal Yet<\/p>\n
An agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained in the works on Thursday, as mediators separately urged U.S. and Iranian officials to come to a consensus on control of the strategic waterway. With Tehran claiming that it is in the \u201cfinal stage\u201d of drafting a deal with Oman, all eyes are now on Washington to determine what happens next.<\/p>\n
Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at a potential plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Myanmar\u2019s junta\u2019s pursuit of political legitimacy, and domestic mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n
No Deal Yet<\/p>\n
An agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained in the works on Thursday, as mediators separately urged U.S. and Iranian officials to come to a consensus on control of the strategic waterway. With Tehran claiming that it is in the \u201cfinal stage\u201d of drafting a deal with Oman, all eyes are now on Washington to determine what happens next.<\/p>\n
Regional sources told Reuters that the proposed deal<\/a> between the two Middle Eastern countries would give Iran oversight over all traffic entering the Persian Gulf through the strait. It is unclear how control would be defined; Tehran demands the right to board and charge commercial vessels, but Gulf mediators insist upon their right to supervise inspections and maintain that payments should be voluntary.<\/p>\n Either way, any level of Iranian control over the strait would mark a major geopolitical shift<\/a> in Tehran\u2019s favor, as prior to the onset of war in February, ships could pass through Hormuz freely and without facing tolls.<\/p>\n The 60-day framework<\/a> reportedly under discussion would also require outbound traffic to pass through Omani waters rather than Iranian territory. Parties would have 30 days to begin de-mining the strait\u2019s median lane, and ships would eventually be cleared to use this route in both directions. Analysts remain uncertain as to what extent Tehran has mined the thoroughfare<\/a> and just how long it will take to clear the area for safe use.<\/p>\n Yet no deal has yet been reached, and previous efforts to reach a durable agreement have failed\u2014in no small part due to confusion, misunderstanding, and differing interpretations of what exactly has been agreed to.<\/p>\n Signs of similar issues plaguing this latest round of negotiations arose on Thursday, with Iran\u2019s semi-official Fars News Agency, which is closely linked to the country\u2019s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, publishing<\/a> a purported initial draft of the Iran-Oman deal that included much more stringent restrictions on shipping through the strait: U.S. and Israeli ships would be banned from transiting the waterway, and other nations that have harmed Iran would also not be allowed to do so until they pay compensation to the country. Such terms are almost certain to be nonstarters for the United States.<\/p>\n Despite major diplomatic and military setbacks, U.S. President Donald Trump appears confident in Washington\u2019s ability to win the war. \u201cIran, where the country has been decimated for the purpose of NOT ALLOWING IT TO EVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, is going very well!\u201d Trump wrote<\/a> on Truth Social on Thursday in a post defending the actions of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n The White House also denied reports that U.S. munitions stockpiles are running low, telling ABC News<\/a> that \u201c[w]e have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need.\u201d<\/p>\n These assurances directly contradict Trump\u2019s past arguments<\/a> that the United States can no longer provide Ukraine with Patriot interceptors because of its own focus on Iran. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. inventories of Patriot interceptors and anti-ballistic THAAD missiles have been reduced<\/a> by two-thirds and one-half, respectively, since the Iran war began.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s Most Read<\/p>\n What We\u2019re Following<\/p>\n Seeking legitimacy. The leader of Myanmar\u2019s junta regime traveled<\/a> to Thailand on Thursday to pursue political legitimacy and reengagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the two-day state visit, President Min Aung Hlaing is expected to try to convince Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that Myanmar is a stable country working toward democracy and that its leadership should be welcomed back to the world stage.<\/p>\n \u201cMyanmar has now reestablished itself on the path to democracy and is moving toward a better future,\u201d Min Aung Hlaing said. \u201cAs the new government, we have now begun working on national stability, peace, and national reconciliation.\u201d Anutin confirmed<\/a> that the two countries are prepared to enter a \u201cnew chapter of economic cooperation that is built upon mutual trust.\u201d<\/p>\n In February 2021, Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup that ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the junta has tried to establish itself as a legitimate government by holding a phased presidential election that began late last year. However, allegations of a rigged vote<\/a>, deadly government crackdowns<\/a> on political dissidents, and the imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi<\/a> has stopped Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s government from gaining the trust<\/a> of Western states and ASEAN members.<\/p>\n Critical mining. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has banned cobalt and copper concentrate exports, Reuters reported<\/a> on Thursday, though one-year export waivers may be granted on a case-by-case basis. The June 29 government order reviewed by Reuters also introduced new taxes on significant mining byproducts, affecting a wide range of minerals. The ban took effect immediately, but the tax regime has a three-month transition window.<\/p>\n Congo is the world\u2019s largest cobalt supplier, Africa\u2019s top source for copper, and a major producer of other critical minerals<\/a>, such as tantalum, lithium, tin, and gold. By imposing export bans on cobalt and copper, Kinshasa is hoping to force more domestic processing and retain a greater share of the wealth; Congo\u2019s mining sector accounts for roughly 40 percent<\/a> of the country\u2019s annual GDP.<\/p>\n \u201cResource-rich countries have been used as extractive giants,\u201d Heidi Crebo-Rediker, who was the U.S. State Department\u2019s first chief economist under the Obama administration, told<\/a> FP\u2019s Christina Lu in June. Many \u201chave not seen the benefits of the extraction of many resources over many decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Massive rescue operation. Nigerian authorities rescued<\/a> more than 300 people who were kidnapped during a series of recent abductions in Niger and Kwara states, according to the office of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday. \u201cThe successful execution of this intelligence-led operation demonstrates the growing efficiency and collaboration among our security services,\u201d Tinubu said. This was the largest single-day rescue operation carried out by Nigerian security forces in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Of those freed were 145 individuals abducted from Niger state and 163 people abducted from Kwara\u2019s Woro community. Kidnapping for ransom has become a major crisis<\/a> in Nigeria, with Islamist insurgents often linked<\/a> to Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa Province targeting vulnerable rural community centers, such as schools and places of worship.<\/p>\n