Iran warns against crossing Hormuz
The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, warned on Thursday June 25 against any crossing of the Strait of Hormuz without their authorization and threatened ships that did not comply with “appropriate measures”.
“The only authorized route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is that announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Revolutionary Guards said.
Iran accuses NATO of “complicity” in the war
The spokesperson for Iranian diplomacy, Esmaïl Baghaï, accused NATO of “complicity” in the “illegal war of aggression” launched against Iran by the United States and Israel.
Esmaïl Baghaï reacted to comments on Fox News by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to whom “500 American planes took off from American bases in Italy” to support the Israeli-American military operation “Epic Fury” launched against Iran on February 28.
Mark Rutte also claimed that Bucharest airport had reduced its commercial flights to make room for refueling planes used in this operation, and that between 4,000 and 5,000 sorties by American planes had been carried out from European bases during the conflict.
The barrel of Brent at its pre-war level
The price of a barrel of Brent from the North Sea, an international benchmark for oil, fell on Thursday below the levels recorded before the start of the war in the Middle East, the market showing itself reassured by the gradual resumption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
A barrel for delivery in August lost more than 1%, reaching $72.44, compared to a close of $72.48 on February 27, on the eve of the conflict triggered by American and Israeli strikes against Iran.
Trump questions US involvement
Donald Trump on Wednesday questioned the involvement of the American army in the deadly bombing of the Iranian school in Minab, which killed more than a hundred children on the first day of the war in the Middle East at the end of February.
“What happened was horrible, but there were missiles flying in every direction. Someone said it was our missile, well, maybe it wasn’t our missile. I haven’t seen anything to lead me to believe it was. There were plenty of missiles launched by others,” the US president told reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
The White House demands $88 billion
The White House has asked the American Congress for a budgetary increase of nearly 88 billion dollars, “most of which” must meet “urgent needs” linked to the war in Iran.
More than 67 billion dollars would thus be devoted to the Pentagon, in particular for the “operational costs” of the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, and to “replenish munitions stocks”, according to a letter from the White House budget director, Russ Vought, to Congress. In addition, $10 billion is requested to help American farmers.
Hezbollah accuses Israel of violating truce
Hezbollah accused Israel of a new “violation” of the ceasefire, after an Israeli drone killed two people in southern Lebanon, the day after the death of two other people killed by Israeli fire.
“For the second time in less than 48 hours, the Israeli enemy army deliberately targeted Lebanese citizens who were inspecting their homes” near the town of Kfar Rumman, the Iran-backed group said in a statement.
Hezbollah “reiterates that the enemy’s actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire it has adhered to thus far, and that it is monitoring and documenting these violations.”
Trump repeats that NATO “failed” the United States
Donald Trump repeated that NATO countries had “let down” the United States during the war against Iran, in the presence of the head of the alliance Mark Rutte, whom he received at the White House.
“If there was anyone else in this position (of NATO Secretary General), we wouldn’t even be having a meeting today, to be honest with you, because we’ve been let down,” said the American president, who then attacked Spain in particular, while also criticizing Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
Resumption of foreign oil operations in Kurdistan
Foreign oil companies are gradually resuming their activities in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, after having suspended them due to the war in the Middle East, said the spokesperson for the regional government.
During the hostilities that broke out at the end of February, the Kurdistan region, where many foreign oil companies operate and where American troops are stationed, was a target of numerous drone attacks, carried out mainly by Iraqi armed groups supported by Tehran. Several oil fields had been affected.
Israeli contract worker killed in Gaza in ‘accident’
The Israeli army announced that a contractor was killed in an “operational accident” in Gaza, bringing Israeli losses in the Palestinian territory to six since a fragile ceasefire with Hamas took effect in October.
This “employee working for a subcontracting company carrying out engineering projects on behalf of the Ministry of Defense” was killed “during an activity by the army and security forces in the Gaza Strip,” the army said, without further details, specifying that his family had been informed.
