Germany to offer demining, surveillance support for Hormuz mission - report

Senior Iranian officials have grown frustrated with a plan to generate revenue from shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with little money collected despite expectations of significant income, sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.

Iran moved early in the war to control traffic through the strait and charge tankers about $2 million for transit permits, setting up a committee led by Mohammad-Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

But the effort has produced limited results, with only about 60 permits issued, payment requests sent for just eight shipments and no funds collected so far, the sources said, citing weak management of the process.

The outcome has triggered concern at high levels of government and within the office of Iran’s supreme leader, they added.

Discussions have taken place about removing Zolghadr from the role and shifting oversight of the file to President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the sources.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that Iran’s ability to coordinate under the ceasefire is weakened, but its incentive to maintain the truce remains high.

“Their command and control capabilities are highly degraded, so their ability to organize is the worst it’s ever been,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing.

However, he said Iran was likely to stick to the ceasefire to avoid renewed military action.

“Their motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high, because they understand that a violation means a commencement once again of Admiral Cooper’s forces,” he said.

Hegseth added that US operations had previously inflicted significant damage.

“That went very poorly for them,” he said.

On the Houthis, Hegseth said the group has so far stayed out of the conflict.

“Thus far, they have stayed out of it, which we think is a good decision by them,” he said.

The head of US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper highlighted US military operations against Iran and said forces across the region remain ready during the current ceasefire.

Cooper said he had recently visited troops deployed across around 70 locations in the Middle East during both active operations and the ceasefire period.

He pointed to actions including strikes on Iranian missile launchers before they were fired and attacks on military targets in and around Tehran.

Cooper also said US forces intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and carried out drone operations, while using artificial intelligence to process battlefield data and support decision-making.

He said US troops were working alongside regional partners to maintain what he described as a broad air defense network across the region, including in the Persian Gulf.

Cooper added that military partnerships with allies had strengthened after joint operations and that forces were now rearming and adjusting tactics while maintaining a high level of readiness.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun will not hold a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, three Lebanese officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The clarification came after US President Donald Trump said leaders of both countries would speak.

Two of the officials said Lebanon’s embassy in Washington had informed the US administration ahead of a call between Aoun and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Aoun would not speak with Netanyahu.

US forces have turned back 13 vessels since the start of the blockade on Iran, with ships warned they would face boarding or force if they attempted to proceed, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine said on Thursday.

Caine said US naval and air assets moved quickly to intercept vessels approaching Iranian waters, applying what he described as visible military pressure.

“At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning … ‘Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure,’” he said, adding ships were told to turn around or “prepare to be boarded.”

He said 13 ships had turned back so far, with most reversing course inside the blockade line and one turning away before reaching it.

“As of this morning, US Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships,” Caine said.

He added that any vessel attempting to cross the blockade could face escalated measures.

“That includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots,” he said.

US forces are also carrying out similar maritime interdiction efforts in other regions, including the Pacific, targeting vessels suspected of supporting Iran, Caine said.