Ships report attacks in Strait of Hormuz after Iran closes vital waterway again — BBC News

[0:03] Hello, I'm Helena Humphrey and this is the Iran War Today, our daily briefing bringing you up to [0:08] date with all you need to know on day 50 of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Well, let's start with [0:14] some of today's key developments. A tanker and a container ship have both reported attacks off [0:21] the coast of Oman, according to U.K. maritime officials. It comes after the Iranian military [0:27] said that it was once again closing the Strait of Hormuz because of a continued U.S. blockade [0:33] of Iran's ports. President Trump says the U.S. won't be blackmailed over the Strait. [0:40] Elsewhere in Lebanon, a French U.N. peacekeeper has been killed in an attack, being blamed on the [0:45] Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. They deny the claims. Now over the course of the next 10 or so [0:55] minutes, we'll get the latest from our teams across the world. We'll be live with our correspondents [1:01] in Washington and Jerusalem. Plus, we'll hear analysis from our correspondents monitoring [1:06] developments from here in London. Well, the Strait of Hormuz has been the focus of global attention [1:13] once again. Now, the U.K. maritime trade operations centre says that a tanker and a container ship [1:19] both reported attacks off the coast of Oman. The crews are safe, but there was some damage to [1:25] containers. Well, earlier in the day, Iran's military announced they would close the vital [1:30] shipping route once again in response to the U.S. maintaining its blockade on Iranian ports. [1:36] Now, shipping traffic from this morning into the afternoon shows vessels flowing through the [1:42] Strait. Then, as the day progressed, some of those boats stop, turn around, and traffic reduces. [1:49] Now, President Trump was taking questions in the Oval Office today, and he wasn't happy with Iran's [1:54] actions in the Strait. We have very good conversations going on. It's working out very well. They got a little [2:02] cute, as they have been doing for 47 years. Nobody ever took them on. We took them on. They have no Navy. They [2:09] have no Air Force. They have no leaders. They have no nothing. Actually, their leaders are – it is regime change. [2:16] You call that enforced regime change. But we're talking to them. They wanted to close up the Strait again, you know, [2:24] as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us. [2:29] Well, joining me now from Washington is our correspondent, Simi Jolosho, our North America correspondent, [2:35] and Kasra Najee, special correspondent for BBC Persia. And welcome to you both. Firstly, to you, Simi. Judging by [2:43] President Trump's comments, he seems pretty defiant. Yeah. Amidst the mixed messaging we're hearing from the U.S. [2:51] and Iran, one could say President Trump does seem pretty defiant, but also that he remains optimistic, [2:58] even though he says that Iran can't blackmail Washington. He also said that there are very good [3:04] conversations going on between the two sides. He acknowledged that the U.S. has taken a tough stance [3:10] in these negotiations. But last night, he insisted that that U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and [3:17] coastline will remain in place until a deal is reached. So it's clear that the U.S. is determined [3:24] to continue exerting economic pressure on Iran until they agree on a deal that they are satisfied [3:31] with. President Trump this morning told reporters that the U.S. is talking to Iran and will have some [3:37] information by the end of the day. So we can expect to hear more from his administration later. [3:43] And going over now to Kastra, what more are we hearing from Iran in response? [3:51] The Iranians have just issued a statement saying that what the Americans are doing, [3:57] blockading Iran, is a violation of the ceasefire terms and that Iran will continue to stop free [4:06] passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Don't forget that everyone, the two sides, [4:13] both America and Iran, are operating on the basis of a ceasefire, a two-week ceasefire that runs out [4:22] on Wednesday. According to that ceasefire, Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz in return for a stop on [4:30] all fighting and all the bombardments in the region against Iran and Iran's allies. That has happened, [4:38] i.e. in Lebanon, for example, there is a ceasefire in force in Lebanon. But Iran has not opened the [4:49] Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the Americans have put a blockade on it, which is, again, [4:55] looks like a violation of the ceasefire because during the ceasefire, they're not supposed to add [5:04] extra restrictions and threaten each side. So it seems that both sides are in violation of that [5:15] ceasefire. And I would expect Pakistanis who are intervening in this and trying to bring the two [5:25] sides together will continue to push for an extension of that ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of [5:32] Hormuz as part of that ceasefire, because I don't expect either side are in a hurry to go back to [5:39] the war. Kastra Simi, many thanks to you both. Well, let's take a look at how all of this is impacting [5:46] the global economy now and what the fallout could be now that Iran has closed the Strait once again, [5:53] of course, a crucial passageway for oil and liquefied natural gas. I'm joining the studio now [5:59] by our business reporter Eslit Kahr. Just bring us up to date on just how the economy continues to be [6:06] impacted by this. Well, Helena, this economic shock happened almost immediately with a surge in the [6:12] price of oil and gas because Iran closed that Strait of Hormuz, which is such a crucial transit route for [6:19] the world's energy markets. And that had an almost immediate impact, whether it's been higher prices [6:24] at the petrol pumps or a spike in the cost of jet fuel for the world's aviation industry. And in some [6:30] countries, that economic shock has been pretty stark. For example, last month in the Philippines, [6:34] they declared a state of national emergency because of just how much they rely on fuel from [6:40] the Gulf. But of course, this isn't just about fuel. It's about disruption to complex supply chains in all [6:47] kinds of industries, including things like food production, which relies on fertiliser and carbon [6:53] dioxide. And that's leading to concerns about shortages and higher prices and not just the ones [6:58] we've seen already, but the ones that could be coming further down the track once the full implications [7:04] of this conflict become known. Now, yesterday did see some optimism in the markets around the idea [7:11] that that Strait of Hormuz could reopen. But there have been plenty of warnings that even if it does, if and when [7:17] that does happen, it's not going to be flicking a switch and supplies return to normal. There could be lasting [7:23] effects on many industries. They could take time to recover. Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund warned [7:32] that the war was threatening to throw the world economy off course. And as we've seen in the last 24 hours, there continues [7:39] to be a lot of volatility. Indeed, Eslit Khada, our business reporter. Many thanks indeed. [7:46] So let's take a look now at the situation on the ground in Iran. And while people around the world are concerned [7:51] about the volatile economy and the restricted supply of oil, the people in Iran have a lot more at stake. [7:59] Well, Lise Doucette is our chief international correspondent and she is in Tehran reporting on the condition that none of [8:06] her material is used on the BBC's Persian service. Now, these restrictions apply to all international [8:11] media organizations operating inside Iran. And she told us about what life is like for Iranians [8:19] since the war began. [8:20] You see the loyalists of the Iran's new leaders out on the streets. Yesterday, there was even a march by [8:29] women with rocket launchers and pink armored vehicles and pink guns called the devoted [8:35] daughters. The regime does have its supporters, but there are many people who are not out on the streets [8:42] who had dared to hope that the beginning of this war would mean the end of the Islamic Republic. [8:48] But right across the political spectrum, Iran wants to see an end to the crippling sanctions [8:54] which have made their lives so difficult. Iran wants to see an end to this war. And even those [9:00] who had supported this war, Iranians abroad, Iranians here hoping it would bring about change, [9:06] they were shocked by when they saw this war unleashed, missiles slamming into residential areas. [9:13] We've been visiting neighborhoods where civilian homes were destroyed. We went to see that biggest bridge [9:19] which President Trump had boasted about on social media saying Iran's biggest bridge had come tumbling down. [9:26] And Iranians, no matter what their political views said, this is our critical infrastructure. [9:31] This is our future. You really feel here that Iranians are, they can only live from one day to the next. [9:37] It's really out of their control. Not knowing what the next day will bring, much less the next week, [9:44] months or even years. [9:45] Well, in Lebanon, loud explosions have been heard overnight in Lebanese border towns occupied by [9:52] the Israeli army. Meanwhile, France says that one of its United Nations peacekeepers in southern [9:57] Lebanon has been killed. Three others injured, two of them seriously. Well, President Emmanuel Macron [10:04] blamed the attack on Hezbollah, but the Iran-backed militia has denied this. Well, BBC Arabic's [10:10] Kerin Torbay reports from one border town, Chaim, just a few kilometers from the Israeli border. [10:16] At the moment, the Lebanese army is erecting this barrier to stop the residents from going back [10:23] into the town as it is still partly under Israeli occupation. But this town and other towns in the [10:32] area have seen very intense explosions yesterday. And the thud of these explosions were heard in large [10:41] parts around it. And they are believed to be coming from detonations carried out by the Israeli army to houses [10:52] and structures inside those villages. Of course, parts of the normal life are coming back to the south of [11:01] Lebanon or two parts of the south of Lebanon after the ceasefire came into effect. And as part of this, the UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping forces in South Lebanon has resumed its patrols in parts of the south. This has stopped due to the hostilities in the past weeks. Well, let's speak now to our correspondent in Jerusalem, Nick Beak. Nick, good to see you. Is the ceasefire between Lebanon and the [11:32] Israel holding? [11:33] Hi, Helena. Yes, it is holding for now, but it is certainly under strain. You talked about the [11:40] UN peacekeeper from France who was killed. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, saying he was [11:45] in no doubt that this was the work of Hezbollah. The group said that it was not responsible for [11:50] it. Elsewhere in southern Lebanon today, we saw the Israeli military saying that they were carrying [11:56] out more strikes. They said they were justified to do this under the terms of the ceasefire, which [12:01] is now in place. If they believe there is an imminent or a future threat, they say [12:05] they can act. They also use for the first time the phrase a yellow line. Now, what they were talking [12:11] about here was a boundary that has been set up as part of this buffer zone that the prime minister, [12:17] Benjamin Netanyahu, has been talking about. And the idea is that he says that northern Israel is protected [12:24] from Hezbollah. This is significant because there is a yellow line in Gaza. The IDF, the Israeli [12:31] defense forces, set that up last year after a ceasefire was secured in Gaza. And the significance [12:39] is at that particular boundary, dozens of Palestinians have been killed there. So some Lebanese people may [12:45] be concerned when they hear that language being used in their country. And talking about the Lebanese [12:51] people, we know more than a million people were displaced during the six weeks of fighting. Some [12:56] communities were completely flattened by the Israeli airstrikes. And some people are now attempting to [13:02] get back to their homes, as we were seeing just now. But clearly they have a decision to make whether [13:06] or not it's safe to do so. Or the other alternative is that they remain living somewhere else far away [13:13] from their homes. Nick Beak there reporting from Jerusalem. Nick, good to see you. Thanks a lot. [13:19] Well, there is a continued push to try and find a diplomatic resolution to the war. Pakistan's [13:25] prime minister has just ended a tour of the Gulf and his army chief has been in Tehran. And Iranian [13:31] state TV is reporting that Iran is reviewing new US ceasefire proposals. Well, joining me now in the [13:38] studio is our diplomatic correspondent, James Landale. James, good to have you with us. Where did these [13:44] latest developments leave the prospect of any further rounds of talks in Pakistan? [13:49] Well, there are clearly discussions going on between, you know, if we put to one side, the events [13:55] on the ground in terms of, you know, attacks on tankers and things like that, and the confusion over [13:59] whether the seaways open, and the rhetoric bouncing between both sides. If you put all that to one side, [14:04] there is still a dialogue of sorts going on through Pakistan, as you say. And the sort of the idea [14:10] that's sort of out there that's been floated by some officials is some kind of framework agreement. [14:15] They're calling it a memorandum of understanding. Could you get Iran and the US to sign up to that [14:21] and then have that as a that builds towards a longer term peace settlement in the future? Now, [14:27] you know, that's just a structure that may or may not fly. We still know that between both [14:32] the US and Iran on the substance on on the question of Iran's nuclear power and ambitions and the future [14:39] of the Strait of Hormuz, there is still a substantial gap between both sides. But clearly, at the moment, [14:45] neither side wants to go back to the full scale fighting that they had before. So there is still [14:50] an imperative to that. But as we saw today, in the Strait of Hormuz, there is a substantial difference [14:56] of position. And I think what we've seen today is a demonstration of Iran's growing confidence. [15:03] You know, we might call it confusion. What we've seen today is we've seen the supreme leader. We've [15:09] seen the national Supreme National Security Council. We've seen the army high command and the foreign [15:14] ministry all putting out statements, all of them being very, very bullish, very determined, saying, [15:19] look, you know, we're not going to compromise. We're going to take on our enemies. And the physical [15:24] demonstration of that was the willingness to deploy fast boats to fire some weapons at shipping trying [15:30] to pass through the strait today. So at the moment, Iran is demonstrating to the world that it feels [15:35] in a pretty confident place. Briefly, then, James, with all of that in mind, where do you think this [15:40] leaves this ceasefire? Do you think it can last? Well, I think the immediate focus now will be can you [15:46] get the ceasefire to extend beyond this Wednesday? And I think that will occupy much of the discussions [15:50] over the next couple of days. Our diplomatic correspondent there, James Landale, with that [15:55] assessment. Very good to get your thoughts. Thank you so much. Well, whether you are joining us on [16:02] YouTube, TikTok, Sounds, Radio or TV, thanks for your time. We'll be back at the same time tomorrow [16:08] with the Iran War Today.