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Iran unleashes 342 fast-attack boats in Strait of Hormuz, tightening grip on shipping lane<\/p>\n
A swarm of more than 300 Iranian fast-attack boats was identified in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts between Tehran<\/a> and Washington continued.<\/p>\n According to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI<\/a>, 342 boats were deployed across five monitored zones \u2014 a \u201cstep down from yesterday\u2019s 454, but still elevated compared with the 27 to 230 range observed between May 4 and May 10,\u201d the firm said in a post shared on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n On May 11, a swarm of about 200 Iranian fast-attack boats brought the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual standstill, the firm said.<\/p>\n Windward also reported a heavy concentration of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small craft inside the northern Hormuz Corridor, using \u201cswarm-style formations\u201d and \u201cescort-like behavior\u201d to disrupt commercial traffic.<\/p>\n \u201cThe swarm coincides with a total halt in commercial movement, with all large-hull vessels currently observed as stationary,\u201d Windward said.<\/p>\n Iran also expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a \u201cvast operational area\u201d far wider than before the conflict, according to reports.<\/p>\n Citing Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars News Agency reported May 12 that the strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands.<\/p>\n Instead, it has been expanded in both scope and military significance, Akbarzadeh said, according to Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1 hour agoRubio warns Iran\u2019s growing drone, missile arsenal posed ‘intolerable risk’<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> said Wednesday that Iran\u2019s rapidly expanding drone and missile capabilities were nearing a point where they could overwhelm regional defenses, calling the threat an \u201cintolerable risk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIran was building up a conventional capability where they would have so many missiles and so many drones that they could overwhelm anybody’s defenses,\u201d Rubio told Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One en route to Beijing for a high-level summit with President Xi Jinping.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce they had that, nobody could do anything about their nuclear program, because they would say, \u2018If you attack our nuclear program, we will wipe out six countries in the Gulf region, and you won’t be able to defend against it,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Describing Iran\u2019s<\/a> military assets, Rubio said, \u201cYou get these swarms of drones, these swarms of rockets. They were on the verge, in a year from now, they would have been, at that point, the president said, that\u2019s an intolerable risk.\u201d<\/p>\n Rubio outlined how people are \u201cstruggling to make that connection\u201d but said it was a very real one.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were building such a high number; they were going to have so many drones and missiles that no one could attack Iran,\u201d Rubio added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe result would be catastrophic for the region, and once they had that immunity, then they would break out toward a weapon. We knew that the president was not going to allow that to happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 1 hour agoRubio urges China to act on Iran war, warns of global economic fallout<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> said Wednesday that Washington would be making its case to Beijing and set out why it was in China\u2019s best interest to help end the war in Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve made the argument to the Chinese, and I hope it’s compelling, and they’ll have a chance to do something about it at the United Nations later this week, when there’s a resolution condemning Iran for what it is doing in the straits,\u201d he told Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One en route to China.<\/p>\n The conflict, he said, was a \u201chuge source of instability\u201d for China.<\/p>\n \u201cIt threatens to destabilize Asia more than any other part of the world because it is heavily reliant on the straits for energy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cOf all the countries in the world, economies are melting down because of this crisis in the straits,\u201d Rubio warned, before highlighting that people are going to be buying less Chinese products and that Chinese exports are going to drop \u201cprecipitously.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s in their interest to resolve this. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 1 hour agoOil prices rise as investors eye Iran war developments, Trump-Xi meeting: report<\/p>\n Oil prices rose Thursday as investors looked ahead to a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, while also keeping a close eye on developments in the war involving Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reuters<\/a> reported Brent crude futures rose 13 cents, or 0.12%, to $105.76 per barrel as of 12:15 a.m. GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures also gained 12 cents, or 0.12%, to $101.14 per barrel.<\/p>\n Brent crude had dropped by more than $2 per barrel Wednesday, while WTI fell by more than $1.<\/p>\n 2 hours agoHouthis warn new war on Iran would spark wider regional conflict: report<\/p>\n Yemen\u2019s Houthi movement warned Wednesday that any new U.S. strike on Iran could spark a wider conflict across the Middle East with consequences for everyone involved, according to reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Abdulwahid Abu Ras, the group\u2019s acting foreign minister, delivered the message to Iran\u2019s<\/a> Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.<\/p>\n Abu Ras said attacks on Iran could destabilize not only the Middle East but also global economic and energy systems, emphasizing far-reaching repercussions.<\/p>\n He said continued aggression against Iran could pull both the region and the wider world into a war with widespread consequences.<\/p>\n In March, the Houthis<\/a> joined the Iran war\u00a0by carrying out missile and drone strikes on Israel in support for Tehran.<\/p>\n 3 hours agoUAE denies reports of \u2018secret visit\u2019 by Israeli PM Netanyahu<\/p>\n The United Arab Emirates denied reports circulating Wednesday regarding an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UAE.<\/p>\n “The United Arab Emirates denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UAE, or receiving any Israeli military delegation in the country,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement shared on X<\/a>. <\/p>\n The ministry also said any claims regarding\u00a0unannounced visits are ‘baseless’.<\/p>\n Netanyahu\u2019s office claimed he had secretly visited the UAE and met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran<\/a>, adding the trip had led to a \u201chistoric breakthrough\u201d in relations between Israel and the UAE.<\/p>\n 4 hours agoCENTCOM shares look at Sea Hawk helicopter maintenance aboard USS Abraham Lincoln<\/p>\n U.S. Navy sailors carried out maintenance on helicopters aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cU.S. sailors perform routine maintenance on MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters in the hangar bay of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), May 9,\u201d the command said in a post shared on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n The strike group was deployed to the Middle East<\/a> as part of Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n 5 hours agoAraghchi warns nations ‘colluding’ with Israel against Tehran ‘will be held to account’<\/p>\n Iranian<\/a> Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Wednesday against nations cooperating with Israel against Tehran, saying those who do so will face consequences.<\/p>\n Appearing to be responding to news of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s<\/a> reported meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirates, he said:<\/p>\n \u201cNetanyahu has now publicly revealed what Iran’s security services long ago conveyed to our leadership,\u201d Araghchi wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEnmity with the Great People of Iran is a foolish gamble. Collusion with Israel in doing so: unforgivable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Araghchi also warned that \u201cthose colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu\u2019s office said he met secretly with Al Nahyan during the war.<\/p>\n \u201cThis visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE,\u201d the office said on X.<\/p>\n 6 hours agoWaltz condemns Iran’s ‘illegal’ mining, tolls in Strait of Hormuz, UN resolution gains support<\/p>\n U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz condemned Iran\u2019s<\/a> actions in the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, pointing to growing support for a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that it stop mining the waterway and imposing tolls.<\/p>\n \u201cIran is ISOLATED in its illegal actions to mine international waters and charge tolls,\u201d Waltz<\/a> said in a post shared on X.<\/p>\n \u201cSee the list of 113 co-sponsors of the U.N. Security Council <\/a>resolution \u2014 including India, Japan, and South Korea \u2014 demanding Iran STOP its illegal and unacceptable behavior,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n 7 hours agoIranian opposition camp near Erbil in northern Iraq struck by two drones: report<\/p>\n Two drones struck an Iranian opposition camp north of Iraq\u2019s Erbil on Wednesday, according to reports.<\/p>\n Citing security sources, Reuters<\/a> reported that an arms and ammunition depot inside the camp had been targeted. There were no reports of fatalities<\/p>\n 7 hours agoTwo Hamas militants killed, including Oct. 7 attack commander, IDF says<\/p>\n Two Hamas operatives, including a commander involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, were killed Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces<\/a> (IDF) said.<\/p>\n \u201cELIMINATED: Hamza Sharabasi, a commander in Hamas\u2019 Shejaiya Battalion in northern Gaza,\u201d the IDF said in a post shared on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n The military said Sharabasi had infiltrated Israeli territory on Oct. 7 and took part in the assault on the Nahal Oz outpost, where Israeli soldiers were killed. <\/p>\n “Recently, he was involved in advancing attacks against IDF troops operating near the Yellow Line,” the IDF confirmed.<\/p>\n The IDF also said that Azzam al-Hayya who held a leading role in the organization, was killed.<\/p>\n 8 hours agoWashington making progress in ‘sensitive’ diplomatic efforts over Iran war: Vance<\/p>\n Vice President JD Vance<\/a> said Wednesday that Washington was making careful progress in diplomatic efforts over the conflict with Iran<\/a>, emphasizing a coordinated approach with regional allies.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, these negotiations are very sensitive,\u201d Vance said at the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.<\/p>\n Explaining that Washington was \u201ctrying to have a productive conversation,\u201d Vance said that he had participated in a call with Jared Kushner and Steve Wycoff, as well as \u201ca number of our friends in the Arab world this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Vance reiterated that the goal was to prevent a \u201cvery dangerous regime having access to the most dangerous weapons in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the goal that we’re focused on. Again, there’s a lot of ways to accomplish that goal,\u201d Vance said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe president<\/a> has set us off on the diplomatic pathway for now, and that’s what I’m focused on,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n 8 hours agoVatican knighthood given to Iran’s ambassador was routine, US Embassy says<\/p>\n The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV did not grant any exclusive honor to Iran\u2019s ambassador to the Vatican<\/a>.<\/p>\n The statement followed reports claiming that Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari had been named a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to news reports, Pope Leo<\/a> has not bestowed a special honor on the Iranian ambassador,\u201d the embassy said in a post shared on X<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThis decoration is routinely given to accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after more than two years of service and has been standard practice for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n The embassy added that the award is a personal recognition and \u201cdoes not imply support or opposition to any policy or country.\u201d <\/p>\n It also noted that 13 ambassadors recently received the same honor and that previous U.S. ambassadors have received it as well.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally, the decoration was not given in person by the pope,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Press TV had described the order as one of the Vatican\u2019s most distinguished knighthoods, typically awarded to ambassadors and prominent figures for strengthening diplomatic ties and promoting dialogue, according to Mehr News Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n 8 hours agoIran says its claim over Strait of Hormuz is ‘established’ and ‘the matter is closed’<\/p>\n Iranian<\/a> First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Wednesday that Tehran\u2019s claim over the Strait of Hormuz was no longer open to debate.<\/p>\n \u201cOur right to the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> is established, and the matter is closed,\u201d Aref said, according to Iran\u2019s ISNA news agency, Al Jazeera reported.<\/p>\n Aref also said that Iran\u2019s previous planning had focused on sanctions and pressure from adversaries, but that policymakers must now concentrate on \u201cthe security and well-being of our country and the region.\u201d<\/p>\n This came as diplomatic efforts for a peace deal appeared to have stalled. President Donald Trump<\/a> said May 11 that Iran’s latest peace proposal was “unacceptable.”<\/p>\n The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports also continued Wednesday.<\/p>\n 9 hours agoNetanyahu\u2019s secret UAE trip during Operation Roaring Lion led to \u2018historic breakthrough\u2019: Israel<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and secured what officials call a historic breakthrough in relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n Netanyahu made the covert trip during the height of Israel\u2019s Operation Roaring Lion, according to the prime minister\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u201cThis visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,\u201d the office said.<\/p>\n No further details were immediately provided.<\/p>\n The growing relationship was highlighted publicly for the first time earlier this week when the U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them to the UAE.<\/p>\n The UAE diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel\u2019s main regional enemy. Iran didn\u2019t immediately respond to Huckabee\u2019s remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.<\/p>\n Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst and The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 11 hours agoUS forces fire small-arms warning shots to enforce blockade, CENTCOM says<\/p>\n U.S. forces fired small-arms warning shots earlier this week to enforce the naval blockade<\/a> of the Strait of Hormuz and ensure that two commercial vessels trying to leave the waterway turned around, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.<\/p>\n The command shared the update about the U.S. naval blockade against ships entering and exiting Iran\u2019s ports, which began on April 13, in a post on X.<\/p>\n \u201cAs of today, American forces have redirected 67 commercial vessels, allowed 15 supporting humanitarian aid to pass, and disabled 4 to ensure compliance,\u201d CENTCOM said.<\/p>\n The command also highlighted how it enforced the blockade when two commercial vessels tried to leave Iran\u2019s ports earlier this week.<\/p>\n U.S. forces \u201censured that 2 commercial vessels turned around to comply with the blockade after communicating via radio and firing warning shots from small arms, clearly demonstrating that U.S. enforcement remains in full effect,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n 12 hours agoUS stealth fighter jet patrolling waters near Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM says<\/p>\n A U.S. Air Force F-35A stealth fighter jet was patrolling over regional waters near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command<\/a> (CENTCOM) said.<\/p>\n The F-35A is a 5th-generation stealth fighter. The aircraft can carry up to 18,000 pounds of ordnance while still flying at supersonic speeds, the command said.<\/p>\n CENTCOM made the announcement in a post on X as Iran\u2019s grip on the Strait of Hormuz is throttling the world\u2019s energy supplies and inflicting economic pain across the globe.<\/p>\n An American naval blockade of the waterway began on April 13, leaving tankers filled with oil unable to get out of the strait.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 14 hours agoTrump faces split among retired US commanders over whether to resume Iran strikes<\/p>\n President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0said the ceasefire with Iran<\/a> is on “massive life support,” as retired U.S. commanders and national security experts are increasingly split whether Washington should resume military operations against Tehran or avoid what critics warn could become another prolonged Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n “I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,” Trump told reporters Monday. “Where the doctor walks in and says, \u2018Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.\u2019”<\/p>\n Trump also dismissed Iran\u2019s latest response to a proposed agreement as “a piece of garbage,” amid reports the White House is reviewing military options should negotiations collapse.<\/p>\n Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former\u00a0national security adviser\u00a0under Trump, said he believes Iran\u2019s leadership is unlikely to make the concessions Trump considers necessary for a deal.<\/p>\n “I think the Iranian leadership and IRGC are unwilling to make the kind of concessions that President Trump thinks are at the minimum,” McMaster told Fox News Digital, referring to Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.\u00a0<\/p>\n “President\u00a0Trump always wants a deal,” he added. “But he’s not going to sign up for a bad deal.”<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter.<\/p>\n 15 hours agoIran blames foreign tanker for massive oil slick near Kharg Island<\/p>\n