Pakistan says 20 Iranians aboard US-seized ships repatriated

France said its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is operating near the Middle East but not inside the Strait of Hormuz right now, stressing that its mission is defensive and aimed at protecting freedom of navigation.

Speaking to BFMTV, French Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo said the carrier had passed through the Suez Canal and Red Sea and was “on station,” giving France the ability to monitor developments and maintain diplomatic leverage in the region.

“We want to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait in a way that is entirely defensive and in line with international law,” she said.

The United Arab Emirates said on Friday it retains the right to defend itself against Iran after accusing Tehran of carrying out more than 3,000 missile and drone attacks since February 28.

Speaking at a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in India, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Almarar said Emirati air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones targeting civilian infrastructure including airports, ports, oil facilities and residential areas.

He also accused Iran of disrupting international shipping routes and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of “economic blackmail.”

Ahmad Alamolhoda, firebrand Friday prayer leader of the religious city of Mashhad, said the United States would suffer greater losses if fighting resumes, adding that Iran’s forces were better prepared than at the start of the war.

“If America wants to continue the war, it will certainly suffer a greater defeat,” Alamolhoda said.

“We were somewhat caught off guard at the start of the war, but now our fighters are more prepared.”

Alamolhoda also said US air defense systems failed to intercept Iranian missiles and argued the conflict had damaged Washington’s standing as a global power.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he told Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that Tehran would continue its “historical duty” in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

“In fruitful engagement with my host Dr. S. Jaishankar, discussed regional developments and clarified that Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz,” Araghchi wrote on X.

Araghchi added that “Iran is a reliable partner of all friendly nations, who can rely on safety of commerce.”

A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, shipping data showed, becoming the fourth Malaysian-linked ship to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.

The Sapura 1200 was among seven vessels Kuala Lumpur sought Iranian permission to move through the strait, which has been largely restricted since fighting erupted in late February, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The vessel hugged Iran’s coastline before entering Oman’s Muscat port, according to LSEG shipping data.