US has ‘global obligation’ to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapon
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the United States has a “global obligation” to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.
“We still have global obligations to ensure that, say, Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said during remarks at the annual defense summit, which brings together senior security officials from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and US Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) issued a Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) Advisory Note on Friday warning of ongoing military operations in the northern Strait of Hormuz near the Musandam Peninsula, according to the official advisory.
The advisory said maritime activity in the area includes critical security risks and warned that military operations are ongoing in proximity to the waterway. It urged mariners to exercise extreme caution and remain alert to rapidly changing conditions.
The notice did not confirm specific threats such as mine-laying but advised vessels to maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 16, avoid traffic separation schemes where possible, and report suspicious activity.
The US military has not confirmed that Iran placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz despite continued searches of the critical waterway, NBC News reported on Friday, citing sources.
Military searches using underwater drones, robotic systems, and manned and unmanned aircraft have identified some objects that could resemble mines, but none have been definitively confirmed as such, the report said.
Despite Tehran’s firm demands for the immediate and unconditional release of $12 billion in cash upon the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, Qatari officials rejected the
According to a source close to a Qatari official involved in the discussions, Doha refused to transfer the funds directly or in cash to Iran. Instead, the money will only be made available as credit for Tehran to purchase essential goods and products directly from Qatar.
The restriction comes amid strong US opposition to granting Iran direct, unrestricted access to liquid financial assets.
Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (right) and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) depart for Doha on Tuesday, 5/25/2026
The recent high-stakes visit of a senior Iranian delegation to Doha, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has ended in a major diplomatic setback for Tehran, an informed source with knowledge of the negotiations told Iran International.
Despite Tehran’s firm demands for the immediate and unconditional release of $12 billion in cash upon the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, Qatari officials rejected the request, agreeing to release only half of the amount under strict limitations, the source said.
According to a source close to a Qatari official involved in the discussions, Doha refused to transfer the funds directly or in cash to Iran. Instead, the money will only be made available as credit for Tehran to purchase essential goods and products directly from Qatar.
The restriction comes amid strong US opposition to granting Iran direct, unrestricted access to liquid financial assets.
Washington raised concerns that direct cash injections would provide the Iranian government with vital economic breathing room, allowing it to pay delayed public salaries and procure military equipment or other goods from foreign countries during a time of intense regional strain.
Iran International previously reported that Tehran had set the unrestricted release of the $12 billion held in Qatar as a strict, non-negotiable precondition before it would advance any preliminary diplomatic understanding or sign the proposed framework agreement.
While Speaker Ghalibaf explicitly requested liquid financial assistance to ease Iran's severe domestic economic pressures, Qatar’s counteroffer effectively bars Iran from using the capital at its own discretion in a blow to Tehran’s strategy in US talks.
Rather than gaining direct access to the cash, Tehran is now forced to spend the capped credit line solely within the Qatari market for essential commodities.
To prevent the dispute from derailing the broader, highly sensitive framework talks with the United States, which aim to secure a regional ceasefire and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, all participating parties have reportedly agreed to keep the details of this financial disagreement strictly confidential.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said on Friday US sanctions would not secure control over the Strait of Hormuz, following its designation by the US Treasury Department.
"The US Treasury Department recently announced sanctions on PGSA. PGSA, while condemning this action, considers being sanctioned by a country whose leader takes pride in piracy as a sign of its own positive performance. You will not gain control over Strait of Hormuz, which you failed to achieve through warfare and diplomacy, by means of sanctions either," it posted on X.
"Despite the provocative actions of the United States in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, this body continues, without interruption, to review and grant passage permits to non-hostile vessels in order to facilitate navigation. Statistics from the first month of the PGSA's activities will be published soon," it added.
