Arab states favour pressure over quick Iran deal - Washington Post

Iran has sent its response to a 15-point US proposal via intermediaries and is awaiting a reply, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim reported on Thursday, citing a source.

The source said Tehran’s response reiterated conditions including an end to attacks, guarantees against future conflict, compensation for war damages and a halt to fighting across all fronts involving allied groups.

It added that Iran also insisted on recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz and guarantees that any commitments would be implemented.

The source described US calls for negotiations as a “deception,” saying Washington was using diplomacy to buy time and shape global perceptions.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis are ready to join the war if needed, a Houthi leader told Reuters, raising the risk of renewed disruption to global shipping.

“We stand fully militarily ready with all options,” the leader said, adding any decision on timing would depend on developments.

The group could target the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, potentially opening a new front in the conflict.

Israel’s military said Behnam Rezaei, head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate, was killed alongside commander Alireza Tangsiri in a strike in Bandar Abbas.

The military said it had “eliminated senior commanders of the IRGC Navy,” adding that the operation targeted leadership involved in maritime activities.

It said Rezaei had led naval intelligence efforts for years and was responsible for intelligence collection on regional countries and coordination with other intelligence bodies.

Israel’s defence minister had earlier announced Tangsiri’s death, describing him as a key figure in maritime operations.

Israel continues striking targets in Iran “with full force,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, referring to Israel’s killing of Alireza Tangsiri, the naval commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

In a brief video message, Netanyahu described Tangsiri as responsible for efforts to close the Strait of Hormuz and called the killing another example of cooperation between Israel and the United States in pursuit of shared war objectives.

“We are continuing to strike, with full force, targets of the Iranian terror regime,” the Israeli premier said. “Last night, we eliminated the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy. This individual has a great deal of blood on his hands, and he was also responsible for leading the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the consequences of the Iran war could be comparable to those of the Covid pandemic.

“The consequences of the conflict in the Middle East are still difficult to accurately predict,” Putin said, adding that some estimates suggest they “can be compared with the coronavirus epidemic.”

He said the conflict was already disrupting global supply chains and putting pressure on energy, metals and fertilizer sectors.