Iran pushing 7-day peace plan but clinging to claims of Strait of Hormuz control
President Donald Trump and CENTCOM have left the Strait of Hormuz open to all but Iran amid war and peace talks, but Iran is pushing a 7-day peace plan behind claims it has the oil route closed.
Iran urges US to accept proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz, which US says is open
Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days remains on the table, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday, as Tehran and Washington remain at odds over conditions for ending the eight-month war.
Iran presented the plan in September after an interim ceasefire collapsed.
"Our situation is clear and based on the seven-days proposal presented to the U.S.,” Araghchi said in Baghdad.
"They shared comments which we are reviewing, but our proposal is still on the table and if there is any honesty on the U.S. part, which there isn't, the way to reopening the Strait of Hormuz is obvious."
The battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz remains the sticking point for Iran, while President Donald Trump has maintained the Strait remains open for all but Iran.
The "vast majority" of Iran's attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are "unsuccessful" as the key waterway remains open for transit, U.S. Central Command spokesperson and U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital this week.
Hawkins spoke after CENTCOM said the GFS Pride, a Singapore-flagged, Cyprus-owned container ship was hit by an Iranian projectile in the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday and sunk while being towed ashore due to a fire on board the ship.
"The U.S. military has assisted in providing coordinated protection for thousands of ships that have safely transited," Hawkins said. "That translates to about 97% of the ships that have sought to transit the Strait of Hormuz have done so successfully without being hit by an Iranian projectile.
"But let's be clear here. What the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is doing is unjustified, and it's also unsuccessful because they are not achieving their objective of closing the Strait of Hormuz."
Araghchi said the waterway could reopen within six days if Washington accepts Iran’s conditions, with peace talks resuming the following day.
The United States has insisted that negotiations address Iran’s nuclear program from the outset.
Vice President JD Vance previously said Tehran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity.
Iran says talks should initially focus on reopening the strait, a key global shipping route that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Saudi Arabia issues Najran danger alert as Egypt weighs support amid Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued an alert warning of potential danger in the southern Najran region Sunday as Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom.
Egypt’s parliament will continue discussions Monday on whether to authorize support for Saudi Arabia amid the escalating Houthi threat, according to lawmakers and local media.
The developments come as Saudi Arabia battles renewed Houthi attacks following the collapse of a truce in Yemen. Egypt has said it is prepared to help defend Saudi Arabia’s security, territory and resources if requested.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump tells Fox News that Iran 'excursion' had to be done, despite oil price, political shocks
President Donald Trump defended his decision to launch military action against Iran despite concerns that the war could drive up oil and gas prices.
Trump told Fox News correspondent Molly Line in an exclusive back-stage rally interview Saturday that rural voters should understand that Iran is “the No. 1 state sponsor of terror.”
“I think when you explain and I've seen it, Molly, when you explain to them that Iran is the number one state sponsor of terror, they're very, very tough and very evil, and they've killed many Americans, but they've killed many people,” Trump said.
Trump acknowledged that oil prices could have risen higher after the strikes.
“I thought oil would be much higher when I did it, and I knew that's not good politically,” Trump said. “But I also, you know, I don't view things politically.”
Trump said the economy had been performing well before he ordered the operation.
“But the stock market was the best for oil in case of the best. They're also better now,” Trump said. “Everything was going good and I said, I have to do the excursion.”
VP Vance: Iranian Strait of Hormuz terror, Democrats' anti-supply agenda cause high oil prices
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday that if President Donald Trump did not step up against the Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices would be much higher than they are even now.
"I recognize that gas prices are too high right now," Vance said at a CBS town hall. "And I think it's important to be honest about why they are so elevated. And there are a few different things going on.
"So the first thing that's going on, obviously, is what's happening in the Middle East, particularly the fact that the Iranians are shooting at every commercial ship that they can. It's a global energy market. So that's pushing up the price of fuel everywhere.
"There are also a lot of things that we've done already to lower fuel prices and frankly, to keep them from going even higher. We've never had a situation like this where you have effectively largest state sponsor of terrorism that's trying to completely choke off world energy supply. The fact is that if we just like left and we let the Iranians control shipping out of the Strait of Hormuz, what that would mean is, is you would pay a lot more for gasoline."
Also, leftist green energy plans continue to be unwound by the Trump administration, and it will take time to undo that damage, according to Vance.
"There are also other things that we, frankly, should have been doing years ago, and we are now doing quite affirmatively," Vance continued. "So a couple of days ago, I was in Texas and we announced that we're going to use what's called the Defense Production Act to massively increase the amount of refining capacity that we have in the United States of America.
"That's actually the biggest reason why gas prices are so high is because when Joe Biden was president, we had about 20% of American refining capacity that went offline.
"We're slowly bringing that online, but it does take a little bit of time. And because we shut down so much refining capacity, we were more susceptible to this shock that we've seen in the Middle Eastern energy prices. So there's a lot that we we, we are doing. It's just we also are working against an Iranian regime that's shooting at commercial shipping."
Benjamin Netanyahu: Let's forge a different future for the Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his goals with the United States in the last two years of President Donald Trump's time in office on Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin."
Netanyahu, who is facing Oct. 27 elections, is urging lasting peace and security in the Middle East against radical Islamic terror groups backed by Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu: The Iranian people have been taken captive by 'ideological thugs'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his vision for the future of Iran’s Islamic regime on Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin."
Iran defense minister: ‘If he drops a single bomb,’ troops will leave ‘in a horizontal position'
Iran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defense minister Sunday, ending months of interim leadership as Tehran warns the Trump administration against resuming military strikes.
“If the American enemy makes another miscalculation, the response of the valiant Iranian people and the fighters of Islam will be surprising and extensive,” Akhlaqi said.
He added that Iran had taken steps to counter a possible U.S. attack involving the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs.”
“The U.S. president should focus on ensuring his forces are withdrawn safely from our region,” Akhlaqi said. “If he drops a single bomb, he will have to see how many of his troops end up being carried out of the region in a horizontal position.”
Akhlaqi replaces Majid Ebn al-Reza, who served in an interim capacity after former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.
Akhlaqi, a longtime veteran of Iran’s defense industry and aerospace and missile sectors, is under U.S. and European Union sanctions.
In a program presented to lawmakers, Akhlaqi pledged to rebuild Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure, accelerate defense technology development and expand cooperation with private-sector companies.
The U.S. has reporedly developed strike plans that could include using the massive bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Tug struck by two projectiles off UAE coast, UKMTO says
A tugboat sailing near the United Arab Emirates was struck by two unknown projectiles Sunday, leaving one person with minor injuries and damaging the vessel, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The incident occurred northeast of Khor Fakkan as the tug traveled southbound.
The vessel remained operational and continued on its route, UKMTO said.
The incident adds to growing maritime security concerns in the region as the Iran war threatens shipping through the Gulf and nearby waters.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Egypt backs Saudi Arabia as Houthis intensify attacks amid US strike pause
With President Donald Trump pausing U.S. strikes in the region, Saudi Arabia is intensifying its campaign against Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen — and Egypt says it is ready to provide Riyadh with military support.
“Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites,” the Egyptian presidency said.
The Houthis have renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia following the collapse of a truce, targeting Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state oil giant.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened the National Defense Council and sought parliamentary authorization to support Saudi Arabia if requested.
Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. The move comes as the Iran-backed Houthis expand attacks against the world’s largest oil exporter while the Trump administration’s war strikes remain on pause.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Iran parliament names minister of defense amid war
Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as its minister of defense, according to state media reports Sunday.
President Donald Trump says Iran's peace negotiators are begging to remain alive as he laments having removed more than two layers of past leaders, which is making peace talks difficult with a regime scrambling for form.
Iran ended months of interim leadership at the ministry and placing a former head of the country's Aerospace Industries Organization in charge of its defense production and procurement apparatus.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Covered by: Eric Mack