Iran strikes defiant tone on eve of US naval blockade

Japan was closely watching developments between the United States and Iran, diplomatic efforts by related countries, and situation around the Strait of Hormuz, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said on Monday.

“The most important thing is that the situation is actually calmed down,” Kihara told a news conference, and voiced hope that diplomacy would lead to an agreement.

Asked whether Japan could take part in operations such as clearing sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Kihara said no decision had been made on any deployment forces.

PetroChina’s chairman held a video meeting with Qatar’s energy minister on Monday and discussed how the recent regional situation could affect global energy supply and demand, the Chinese company said.

The two sides also discussed deeper cooperation in the oil and gas sector, according to a PetroChina statement.

Concern is growing over the whereabouts of Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh 12 days after her arrest, the human rights website HRANA reported.

According to the report, Sotoudeh has had only one brief phone call with her family during this period. In the call, she said she had been detained by agents of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry but did not disclose where she was being held.

HRANA said Sotoudeh’s family has contacted judicial and security authorities to seek information about her situation but were reportedly told that her name is not registered in any judicial authority.

Recent negotiations between US and Iranian envoys produced some progress in establishing goodwill and gave Washington a clearer understanding of Tehran’s negotiating posture, the Washington Post reported citing US officials.

The sources said the talks helped build a measure of rapport with Iranian counterparts despite the failure to reach a deal.

That experience has led President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance to believe Iran may still eventually accept US terms to end the war, according to the report.

The post cited one US official as saying that Vance concluded after many hours of negotiation that Tehran believed it held more leverage than Washington thinks is justified by the realities on the ground.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has once again ground to a halt after President Donald Trump said the United States would launch a naval blockade following the collapse of talks with Iranian officials, Lloyd’s List reported.

"Shipping flows through the strait had continued to operate, albeit at reduced levels on Sunday, prior to the blockade being announced," the report said.

"In the wake of Trump's naval blockade announcement, however, all traffic appears to have halted and at least two vessel that had appeared to be heading to exit the strait have since turned around."

Oil prices jumped sharply on Sunday after Iran-US talks ended without agreement and President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade targeting the Strait of Hormuz from Monday evening local time.

West Texas Intermediate crude rose 8.56 percent to $104.84 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 8.61 percent to $103.38.

The spike reflects mounting market concerns over supply disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil shipments normally pass.

US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is “holding well” as Washington prepares to implement a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.

Trump signaled little urgency about returning to negotiations with Tehran.

“I don’t care” if Iran comes back to the negotiating table, he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”

He described Iran as being “in very bad shape” and “desperate,” claiming its military had been “destroyed.”

The United States had been “very nice” with Iran, he asserted, because it did not target "too many bridges."

US President Donald Trump accused Pope Leo of being weak on Iran and foreign policy in a lengthy post criticizing the pontiff’s views and recent comments about the Trump administration.

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote, arguing that the pope’s positions on global issues were misguided.

Trump also called the pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while criticizing him for speaking about “fear” of the Trump administration.

The US president said the pope should “focus on being a great pope, not a politician,” claiming the Catholic Church was being harmed by what he described as political interventions.

For the first time in seven years, an Iranian VLCC supertanker delivered two million barrels of crude oil to India following a sanctions waiver issued by the US Treasury, according to TankerTrackers.

The vessel, FELICITY, carried the cargo to India for Reliance Industries, whose refinery is based in Sikka.

Additional cargoes totaling a few million barrels are expected to arrive in the coming week, the tracking service said.

US intelligence assessments indicate that China plans to provide Iran with new air defense weapons in the coming weeks, NBC News reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

This was first reported by CNN on Saturday.