The Strait of Hormuz witnessed sharp security escalation after reports of explosions and fires and an oil tanker being hit by a projectile whose nature and source have not yet been determined, in an incident raising concern over navigation safety in one of the world's most important maritime passages. In this context, the spokesman for the IRGC announced that the strait is fully under the control of the Guard's naval forces, while the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, sent a "fiery message" to Washington asserting that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened before seven Iranian conditions are implemented.
Diplomatically, Qatar obtained a window of no less than two weeks to continue its efforts to prevent a new American attack on Iran, as conveyed by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to G7 foreign ministers in Paris, following talks at the White House with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance; he acknowledged that major differences persist, most notably the timeline for implementing any agreement, lifting the naval blockade, and the nuclear file. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for his part, said Washington sees no need for large-scale military operations against Iran, considering that economic pressure achieves the same goal, while affirming that the US military is ready to respond if Iran crosses the red lines, as the Europeans urged avoiding any new escalation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied speculation about a possible US-Iranian meeting, describing the reports as entirely baseless, while the Foreign Ministry said the region faces complex challenges and that Iran's "friends" are making efforts to convey messages and contain escalation. Sima Shine, former head of the Mossad's research and evaluation division, said the chances of reaching an agreement are greater than they were two months ago, warning that negotiations could collapse if Washington refuses flexibility on Iran's right to enrich uranium.
Economically, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani warned of a possible disruption to natural gas supplies in some parts of the country, after the gap between production and consumption rose to 430 million cubic meters due to damage to energy facilities from American and Israeli attacks, with production capacity falling by 230 million cubic meters; she called on citizens to rationalize consumption and warned of falling gas pressure in the country's north and northeast and of possible restrictions in Tehran. In a separate incident, Iranian media reported a fire at a platform belonging to the Pars oil field in southern Iran, with no immediate details on the causes or losses.
On the security and legal front, Agence France-Presse reported that Washington filed charges against three Iranians linked to an attack targeting Firford base in Britain, while the US Department of Justice filed eight charges against three Iranians linked to support for Hezbollah and the IRGC. Germany's foreign minister warned Iran, affirming that his country "will not tolerate under any circumstance," while Araghchi said the American announcement encourages the secret collection of information and espionage on nuclear facilities, materials and scientists.