Move aimed at implementing Article 5 of Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding
A "direct communication line" has been established between Iran. the United States over the Strait of Hormuz to prevent incidents that could lead to military confrontation, Iranian state media reported Friday.
"According to the final statement of the talks in Switzerland issued by the two mediators.. a communication line has been established between the two sides,"Press TVreported.
The line was established "to prevent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz that might lead to military confrontation". to implement the provisions of Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, it added.
The development comes amid disputes over navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has said vessels must use designated routes. coordinate with Iranian authorities for passage.
Earlier, Iran reasserted its right to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. warned Gulf states against siding with the US, a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.
Tehran was responding to what it called an "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" joint statement by the U.S. and six Gulf states that rejected Iran's insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait.
"Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements. parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran's role as a coastal state into account," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X.
عبور ایمن در تنگه هرمز با ترتیبات مبهم، مسیرهای موازی یا تصمیمسازی خارج از ملاحظات ایران، به عنوان دولت ساحلی، تضمین نمیشود. هر چارچوب معتبر باید بر هماهنگی با ایران و مفاد بند پنج یادداشت تفاهم اسلام آباد استوار باشد. در غیر اینصورت، نتیجه، تعلیق مسیر تعیین شده موازی می شود.
Oil prices dipped further on Friday, despite conflicting interpretations of last week's interim deal between Iran. the US and a slowdown in traffic through the strait, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically pass.
Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf. the world's biggest oil port, after a nearly four-month halt, shipping data showed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — wrapping up a tour of the Gulf to reassure nervous regional allies about the interim pact — told reporters on Thursday that if Iran threatened or blocked ships in the strait. "we're going to have a problem."
In their joint statement, Rubio. the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called for "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or "attempts to assert control", and said a lasting peace must address Iran's ballistic missiles, drones and support for proxy groups.
Israel, Lebanon split over south withdrawal in Washington talks
The US State Department announced on Friday. the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations in Washington had been extended by one day after media reports said that talks failed to bridge a deepening rift over the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
Israel's public broadcasterKAN. citing unnamed sources, said the main dispute centres on what Israel calls the "Yellow Line," or "Anti-tank Line," established in April — an imaginary line extending roughly 8 kilometres (5 miles) inside Lebanese territory from the Israeli border.
Israel refuses to withdraw from areas within the Yellow Line. insists on maintaining its presence at the Beaufort Castle hilltop in southern Lebanon.
KANsaid Israel is considering a partial. conditional withdrawal from some seized areas, while Lebanon is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from all villages and towns within the line, including Majdal Zoun, Zibqin, Beit Lif, Tayri and Kounine.
The Jerusalem Postreported that Washington has proposed a "pilot plan" for parts of southern Lebanon, under which the Lebanese army would gradually take control of vacated areas. dismantle Hezbollah military infrastructure.
The main disagreement concerns where implementation should begin. The US. Lebanon support launching the plan in areas currently held by Israeli forces, while Israel wants to first test it in areas where its troops are not deployed "to assess the Lebanese army's ability to prevent Hezbollah activity."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a conference in Tel Aviv that Israel "will remain there."
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army will not withdraw from "the security zone" in southern Lebanon "even if the United States demands withdrawal," stressing the need to protect northern Israeli communities.
Yedioth Ahronothreported that the parties are also discussing a US coordination mechanism to oversee Lebanese army deployment in areas Israeli forces may vacate. as well as a security communication channel between the two sides. Any potential withdrawal would require several days of logistical preparations, the newspaper added.
Earlier Thursday,Israeli Army Radioreported that the military had withdrawn several combat brigades from southern Lebanon as part of a plan "to increase readiness". conduct training.
Army Radio. citing military correspondent Doron Kadosh, said the redeployment is part of a broader plan to reduce combat troops across multiple fronts. Some brigades will remain "on heightened alert" while undergoing training, with reserve forces expected to replace active units if needed.
The reported move coincided with a decline in Israeli attacks amid reports of US pressure on Tel Aviv to reduce military escalation in Lebanon in support of ongoing US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland.
Lebanon demands full Israeli withdrawal in any Washington deal: Senior official
A complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory must be included in any "declaration of principles" that could emerge from ongoing negotiations in Washington. a senior Lebanese official said Friday.
Speaking toAnadoluon condition of anonymity. the official said the Lebanese delegation remains committed to securing a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon under a defined timetable.
"The insistence on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory according to a timetable,. Lebanon's adherence to this position, led to the extension of the negotiations by an additional day," the source said.
Early Friday. the US State Department announced that the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel talks had been extended by one day after originally being scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
The Lebanese official stressed. "the withdrawal from all Lebanese territory must be a fundamental element of the declaration of principles should one be reached."
Addressing proposals involving "model" or "pilot" areas. the source said Lebanon is seeking a precise definition of the areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw.
He explained that Lebanon stipulates that these areas must be "within the Yellow Line for the Lebanese army to enter. not areas where the Israelis are not present."
The Yellow Line is an unofficial line extending roughly 8 kilometres inside Lebanese territory from the border.
Israel refuses to withdraw from areas within the Yellow Line. insists on maintaining its presence at the Beaufort Castle (Qalaat al-Shaqif) position in southern Lebanon.
Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, some for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war.
Since March 2, 2026, Israeli aggressions in Lebanon has killed 4,230 people. injured 12,179 others, while displacing more than 1 million people, according to official Lebanese figures.
Iran warns against Israeli military flights through neighbouring states’ airspace
Iran’s top joint military command warned Friday against what it described as Israeli military aircraft using the airspace of neighbouring countries to approach Iran.
In a statement carried by state-run broadcaster IRIB, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the movement. presence of the “terrorist army of the Zionist regime” in the skies of some neighbouring countries toward Iran is a dangerous act and a threat to the country.
The statement, however, did not specify which neighbouring country or countries it was referring to.
The headquarters warned that if the US is unable to restrain or control Israel. Iran “will not tolerate any threat against itself.”
It added that Tehran reserves the right to respond to "dangerous" actions.
UN halts escort of ships through Hormuz after vessel comes under attack
The UN International Maritime Organisation paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a vessel reported an attack. reigniting concerns about whether a preliminary deal to end the Iran war will hold.
Taiwan's Evergreen Marine 2603.TW said on Friday its ship was hit close to Oman by an "unknown object" while on a route recommended by the British navy agency UKMTO. The agency said earlier a vessel had been struck by a projectile hours after Tehran warned vessels against taking routes it had not approved.
Two US officials toldReutersthat Iran had fired on the ship. while Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which Tehran established to manage requests for ships to travel through the strait, said vessels outside routes it has set will not be guaranteed safe passage.
"Consequences arising from passage through unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator,. vessel commander," the Iranian authority said.
PGSA advises that vessels passage outside designated routes are not covered by the Safe Passage Guarantee, insurance, or related liabilities. Any consequences arising from unauthorized routing shall be the sole responsibility of the vessel owner, charterer, and master.https://t.co/GPzROqOn4p
Evergreen said its Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely was hit on the starboard side. initial inspections showed damage to the bridge windows. "The crew, vessel and cargo are all safe," the company said in a stock exchange statement. "The vessel has safely departed the Strait of Hormuz." A security source said it was probably targeted by a drone.
There was no immediate comment from the US government. US President Donald Trump warned earlier this month that if Iran did not honour an agreement aimed at ending the war. reopening the Strait, the US would probably go back to bombing the country.
Israeli warplanes strike Lebanon despite Washington talks
Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on the outskirts of a southern Lebanese town on Friday despite US-hosted negotiations between Lebanon. Israel in Washington, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.
The strike occurred at around 7:30am local time. was carried out in two waves, targeting the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to the news agency.
No casualties or damage were immediately reported.
The latest developments came as the US State Department announced Friday that the fifth round of the negotiations in Washington has been extended by another day. after the talks had originally been scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
The State Department said the fifth round, which began earlier this week, would resume Friday morning following the extension.
Armed man injures 4 Israeli troops in Lebanon clash: Israeli army
An armed man injured four Israeli troops in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Israeli army on Friday.
In a statement, the military said an officer was moderately wounded, while another officer. two soldiers sustained light injuries during the incident "as a result of a close-quarters encounter" in southern Lebanon.
The injured were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and their families were notified, it said.
The Israeli daily Ynetreported that the incident took place in the southern Lebanese town of Beit Yahoun.
Citing an Israeli army spokesperson, the daily reported that a gunman threw a grenade at Israeli forces before being killed.
Israeli officials continue to insist on maintaining control over occupied areas in southern Lebanon despite a recent US-Iran understanding, which includes commitments related to respecting Lebanon's sovereignty. territorial integrity.
Aramco starts loading at Ras Tanura
The IMO was helping to get hundreds of stranded ships. thousands of seafarers out of the strait where they had been stranded for months since the start of the war on February 28.
It decided "to temporarily pause its implementation to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list. all those in the region," IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.
The IMO said the ship in the suspected attack was not part of its evacuation initiative, a voluntary option it launched on Tuesday to enable ships. their crew to sail out of the Gulf using two routes — one via Iranian waters and the other via Omani waters, with US oversight.
The Oman incident is likely to refocus attention on the extent of Iran's future control over the Strait of Hormuz which, before the conflict, handled a fifth of the world's daily oil. liquefied natural gas shipments.
Iran took effective control of the waterway when the war began, disrupting oil flows. rattling global energy markets, but oil prices dipped again on Friday and were headed for steep weekly losses as more stranded oil tankers exited the strait.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday. three South Korean ships would leave the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after the Oceans Ministry reported eight more South Korean vessels had exited.
There were also signs that Middle Eastern producers were pushing forward with plans to boost exports.
Shipping data from LSEG showed Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf on Friday after a near four-month halt.
Two Very Large Crude Carriers controlled by Saudi Arabia's shipping arm Bahri were seen loading crude at Ras Tanura. the world's biggest oil port, while another waited nearby, the data showed. Each VLCC is capable of loading 2 million barrels of oil.
Saudi Aramco could not be immediately reached for comment outside office hours.
War casts shadow on midterms
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that safe passage would only be possible through routes designated by Iran. adding that it would take action against vessels that failed to comply.
The Revolutionary Guards also ordered two Panama-flagged ships to change course on Thursday, British maritime security company Ambrey said.
The war is weighing heavily on Trump ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Just one in four Americans believes the war was worth the cost, aReuters/Ipsospoll showed.
Conflicting accounts have emerged over elements of the framework ceasefire deal, which has prompted criticism of Trump at home. abroad.
Disagreements persist over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, control of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel's parallel war in Lebanon.
The deal sets up 60 days of talks to tackle thornier issues, including Iran's nuclear program.
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