Saudi Arabia agrees to open King Fahd Air Base in Taif to US for Iran operations

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday the department is issuing a short-term authorization to sell approximately 140 million barrels of Iranian oil currently stranded at sea.

“Iran is the head of the snake for global terrorism, and through President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, we are winning this critical fight at an even faster pace than anticipated,” Bessent posted on X.

Bessent added the move will bring the oil to global markets to relieve supply pressures while maintaining maximum pressure on Tehran. The authorization applies only to oil already in transit.

A US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport was targeted in a renewed drone attack on Friday, with security sources telling Reuters that a fire broke out at the site.

Details on casualties or damage were not immediately available.

The United Kingdom on Friday confirmed it will let the United States use British air bases to strike Iranian missile sites and other military targets threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant expansion of London’s policy on the Iran conflict, Financial Times reported.

US President Donald Trump criticized the move, saying Britain should have “acted a lot faster.” The bases designated for US operations include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the agreement “for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defense of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The Kingdom of Bahrain on Friday endorsed a multi-nation joint statement addressing developments in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing the need to protect freedom of navigation and prevent any closure or obstruction of the vital waterway.

The statement, issued in coordination with numerous countries, condemns threats and actions that could disrupt international shipping, global energy supplies, and maritime security in the Strait.

It calls for compliance with relevant UN resolutions and urges restraint to avoid escalation that threatens regional and international stability.

The joint statement issued by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) on Friday raised the overall maritime threat level to “critical” for commercial shipping across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, citing repeated attacks on vessels, ongoing interference with navigation systems and heightened risk to port infrastructure.

In its latest advisory note covering JMIC said there have been more than 20 incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore facilities since the escalation of regional hostilities on 28 February, maintaining that the risk of further attacks, electronic navigation interference and operational disruption remains high.

Mariners are urged to stay in close contact with reporting centers and exercise extreme caution when operating in the region.

JMIC said that while commercial traffic continues in international waterways, the volatile security environment requires enhanced risk assessments, careful adherence to maritime safety protocols and vigilant reporting of suspicious activity.