UKMTO says tanker hit by unidentified projectile in Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s refusal to help Washington over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran had “soured” his relationship with her, though he still described her as “a nice person.”

Trump said Meloni “refused to get involved with the Hormuz Strait or you could also say just Iran.”

“So it soured my relationship with her a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a nice person. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump said.

Trump said Italy received much of its oil from the region, while the United States did not need the strait because it had “a lot of oil.”

"We have a lot of oil. The United States has more oil than anybody. And when you add Venezuela to it, it’s like we have far more oil than anybody. We don’t need the straits,” Trump said.

“We do this because we think it’s an important thing to do. But she just wasn’t there for us. And I wasn’t happy about that,” he added.

US President Donald Trump said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not want Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, while describing the US-Israel conflict with Tehran as “not even a war” but a “a denuclearization” of Iran.

Speaking alongside Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, Trump said Turkey knew Iran “very well” and had been “very instrumental” in efforts to end the conflict.

“They know Iran very well. And they know the problems with Iran,” Trump said. “They’ve been very instrumental, along with a couple of other countries, of helping.”

“With respect to our relationship, including trying to end the war with Iran or whatever you call it. It’s not even a war. It’s a military operation. It’s a denuclearization,” he added.

Trump said Turkey “could have gotten into the fight” but had not done so, describing it as “a very powerful military nation.”

“I don’t think he wants to see them have a nuclear weapon either,” Trump said of Erdogan. “I’m pretty sure of that. In fact, I’m totally sure of that.”

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson condemned the targeting of the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat near the Strait of Hormuz as an “unacceptable attack” on international navigation and global energy supplies, and held Iran fully legally responsible.

“The targeting of the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat as it was passing near the Strait of Hormuz is an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international navigation and the security of global energy supplies,” Majed Al Ansari wrote on X.

He called the attack “a grave and explicit violation of international law,” especially rules guaranteeing “freedom of maritime navigation and safe passage through international waterways.”

Al Ansari called on Iran to “immediately stop all practices that affect the security of the region or threaten the safety of international navigation,” and to stop “endangering global energy supplies and the assets of countries in the region in service of narrow calculations.”

“We hold it fully legally responsible for this attack and for any damage and repercussions that may result from it,” he added.

Saudi Arabia is considering expanding the capacity of its crude oil pipeline to the western Red Sea coast, allowing it and possibly neighboring states to move more oil without crossing the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing five sources close to the matter.

The country is in preliminary talks with some neighbors about a potential capacity increase of up to 2 million barrels per day, according to the report.

It was unclear whether the plan would involve upgrades to existing infrastructure or a new pipeline. One source said the expansion would include a smaller second pipe for oil products.

The project could take years, cost billions of dollars and require changes to Saudi crude pricing, another source said, according to the report.

Ali Khamenei’s funeral has been marred by confusion from Tehran to Najaf, after organizers abruptly shortened the procession route in the Iranian capital and conflicting accounts emerged over who would lead prayers when ceremonies move to Iraq.

The funeral convoy had been scheduled to move from Enghelab Street toward Azadi Square, but organizers changed the route without prior notice and sent it along Azadi Street instead, significantly shortening the procession.

Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Tehran, apologized to pro-establishment supporters on Tuesday, saying organizers had wanted the convoy to pass through Enghelab Street to allow more people to take part.

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