Iran parliament adviser says talks, military readiness can go hand in hand

Iraq suspended crude oil flows at all its loading terminals on Thursday after a drone crashed into an oil tanker at the Basra terminal, Reuters reported, citing four Iraqi oil and security sources.

The incident caused no damage or fire, the sources said.

There was no immediate information on the drone’s origin or how long the suspension would remain in place.

The cost of bringing an Iranian dhow into Dubai has risen sharply since the Iran war began, the Telegram channel Civil Protest of the Bazaar reported on Thursday, citing maritime traders.

They said the fee had risen from about 1,000 dirhams, roughly $270, before the war to 8,700 dirhams, about $2,370, for each vessel.

Traders said the higher transport and import costs were feeding into consumer prices by raising the final cost of goods.

Traditional wooden dhows are central to livelihoods and the supply of goods in southern Iran’s coastal communities. Through small-scale seaborne trade, they support jobs, and help deliver consumer goods quickly to markets.

Bahrain's military said on Thursday it intercepted and destroyed several Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the kingdom, accusing Tehran of continuing what it called a campaign of attacks against civilians.

The Bahrain Defence Force said its air defence systems had intercepted the projectiles and that all military units remained on the highest level of readiness to defend the country.

It urged the public to stay away from suspicious objects that could be remnants of the attacks and report them to the authorities.

The military said targeting civilians and private property with missiles and drones constituted a violation of international humanitarian law.

The tanker Belma had transported at least 38 million barrels of Iranian crude oil before being disabled by the US forces in the Middle East, TankerTrackers said on Thursday.

"Based on our tracking over the years, BELMA (9289491) has transported at least 38 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. A proper cash cow," the vessel-tracking firm wrote on X.

Earlier, US Central Command said a US aircraft disabled the Curaçao-flagged tanker with Hellfire missiles after the vessel ignored repeated warnings while sailing toward Iran’s Kharg Island in an attempt to breach the US blockade.

Iran's army said on Thursday it had no conflict with neighboring countries and warned that if US attacks continued, Tehran's response would go beyond Washington's expectations and could open new fronts.

Army spokesman Amir Akraminia said Iran remained committed to cooperation and "brotherly relations" with neighboring and other Muslim countries, adding that countries from outside the region should engage with Tehran on the basis of mutual respect.

He said "a significant part" of Iran's military capabilities had yet to be used and warned that if US attacks continued, Iran's response would "go beyond the enemy's expectations" and expand the conflict into new areas.

"The armed forces regard protecting Iran's security, interests and dignity as their primary mission," he said, adding they would spare no effort in doing so.