Iran rejects new US talks unless Strait of Hormuz conditions are met

More than 200 American and Jordanian soldiers are participating in exercises at Fort Carson in Colorado, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.

U.S. military personnel, including National Guard members from Colorado and Illinois, will spend the next two weeks training with their counterparts from Jordan.

CENTCOM said the event "is designed to deepen U.S.-Jordanian military cooperation, which remains a cornerstone of Middle East security and stability."

"Our longstanding military-to-military ties with the Jordanian Armed Forces are stronger than ever," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Working and training together will further strengthen our collective operational effectiveness and readiness."

The joint military exercise, known as Eager Lion, is being held for the 12th time. While traditionally hosted in Jordan, this year's exercise marks the first time the event has been held in the United States.

This year, troops will focus on "planning and coordination in counterterrorism, air defense, maritime security, cyber, and disaster response," according to CENTCOM.

CENTCOM also noted that the Colorado National Guard has "established a longstanding partnership with Jordan's military" through the State Partnership Program, which pairs National Guards with militaries of other nations to build mutually beneficial relationships.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out a strike Tuesday in northern Gaza that killed Ahmad Batash, commander of the Jabaliya Brigade of Hamas's armed wing.

The Israeli military said Batash was a terrorist responsible for "managing & organizing the Northern Gaza Brigade’s weapons."

The IDF also accused him of coordinating and facilitating"the supply of weapons and military equipment to Hamas operatives."

Batash advanced attacks that targeted Israeli civilians and IDF troops, the Israeli military said.

The U.S. military "forcefully responded" to a recent attempt by Iranian small boats to take control of a American unmanned drone, U.S. Central Command told Fox News Digital.

"I can confirm that Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a U.S. unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded. The surface drone remains under U.S. operational control," said U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson.

Axios first reported that the U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats Monday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to seize a U.S. Navy drone patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.

Citing a U.S. official, Axios reported that the U.S. identified the IRGC attempting to use the boats to seize the surface drone and responded by firing two missiles at the boats. The boats were destroyed and most on board were killed, per Axios. Iranian state media described the boats as fishing vessels.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed during a bilateral meeting Tuesday that both countries are committed to ensuring that vessels can move freely through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

While meeting in Cairo, both leaders also reaffirmed the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Egyptian presidency said.

The presidency added that Sisi expressed support for Saudi Arabia taking steps to ensure its safety and stability amid the "Yemen crisis."

The Houthis have been launching strikes within Saudi Arabia and on Saudi-flagged commercial vessels in the Red Sea since July.

The U.S. is choking off Iran’s oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. But the routes meant to shield other Gulf producers from that disruption are now coming under pressure themselves.

A drone attack last week badly damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, a critical bypass that carries crude oil across the kingdom to the Red Sea. Repairs could leave it largely out of service for three to five weeks after it had been moving roughly 2.6 million to 4 million barrels per day in recent weeks.

At the same time, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized additional territory and strategic islands around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean — adding pressure to another major shipping route already battered by years of attacks.

And those repeated disruptions are already reaching American consumers.

U.S. diesel prices hit a record national average of $6.23 a gallon Monday, according to AAA, while regular gasoline averaged $4.32. Brent crude climbed as high as roughly $110 a barrel during the day.

Oman's Maritime Security Center said Tuesday that a Panama-flagged oil tanker, El Gaia, had to be evacuated after an attack caused the vessel's engine room to catch fire.

The ship was 1.3 miles northeast of the Musandam Governorate when it was hit, according to the security center.

An Omani naval vessel was able to safely get 23 crew members off the El Gaia. Two members of the crew remain missing. The ship is now being towed back to back to an Omani port.

U.S. Central Command said Iran falsely claimed the tanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said Iran struck the ship with a drone last month, rendering it inoperable and stranded in the waters near the Omani coast.

"This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone," CENTCOM added. "The IRGC's false claim is yet another example of their lies and intimidation attempts while they try to impede commercial vessels in the strait."

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued a condemnation of the recent Houthi air attacks on three Saudi Arabian cities, which injured 13 people and damaged several homes and vehicles.

The ministry affirmed Kuwait's "absolute solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," calling the Houthi strikes "a breach of international law."

Two Saudi cities that were hit — Khamis Mushait and Abha — are within 75 miles of the Yemeni border. The third city hit, Taif, is much further north.

The Houthis have taken responsibility for the Khamis Mushait attack, claiming the strikes were targeting a Saudi military base, , Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday that the ongoing attacks in the Gulf region were hampering efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States, Reuters reported.

During a press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku, Fidan called for the attacks to stop immediately, while stressing his country valued the stability of Iran.

He also said the Strait of Hormuz must return to the pre-war status quo, which allowed all ships freedom of passage. He said Turkey is actively working on a way to resolve the standoff over the vital shipping lane.

Reuters contributed to this post.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center said Tuesday it received a report of an attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship was hit Monday just before midnight local time, making it the third vessel to be struck in the strait since last Thursday.

UKMTO said there were no reports of damage or environmental impact from the latest strike.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this post.

Iran’s top security official warned Washington on Monday that Tehran will not enter negotiations with the United States until its demands are met, stating that any damage control would not avert escalating regional tensions.

“Don’t get distracted by the US president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,’” Mohsen Rezaei wrote in a post on X.

“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming,” he added.

“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”

Rezaei’s remarks came after President Donald Trump said Monday on Truth Social that Iran wants to make a deal, but that he would determine whether the U.S. will choose to engage or not.