Ceasefire under strain as Iran, US trade strikes near Hormuz

Iranian lawmaker Fadahossein Maleki said Tehran did not trust negotiations with the United States and did not accept the current ceasefire, accusing Washington of pursuing broader pressure tactics against Iran.

“Blockading the Strait of Hormuz and economic pressure are not the Americans’ last tricks and they are certainly pursuing other scenarios,” Maleki said, according to state media.

“Based on this, we neither trust negotiations nor accept the ceasefire,” he added.

Maleki also described US actions as part of an “economic war” aimed at increasing pressure on Iranians through the Strait of Hormuz, inflation and rising prices, warning that Iran remained highly vulnerable to such pressure.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said on Friday that Iran’s nationwide internet blackout had entered its 70th day, with disruptions lasting more than 1,650 hours.

NetBlocks said restricted connectivity continued to affect ordinary Iranians, warning that prolonged internet limits hurt small businesses, students, people with disabilities and the wider public.

Iran has faced severe internet disruptions since the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel intensified earlier this year.

A delegation of Italian lawmakers has traveled to Libya to discuss expanding energy trade as Europe seeks alternatives to supplies disrupted by the war in the Persian Gulf, Politico reported.

The report said the visit reflected growing European and US interest in Libya’s large but underused energy resources following global shortages linked to the conflict involving Iran.

Libya already exports some gas to Italy, but flows have remained limited since the 2011 civil war that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Politico said Libya’s energy sector continues to face instability due to ongoing armed violence and political divisions between rival administrations.

China said on Friday it was deeply concerned after a Chinese-linked tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel.

“There are Chinese aboard the vessel but no reported crew casualties so far,” China’s foreign ministry said.

A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, marking the first reported attack on a Chinese oil tanker since the conflict began.

According to Reuters, the vessel’s deck caught fire during the incident near the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Maritime security sources identified the ship as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker JV Innovation.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on Friday he did not expect massive flight cancellations this summer despite concerns over jet fuel shortages linked to the war involving Iran.

Tabarot said most airlines had little interest in cancelling flights during the peak summer travel season, though some carriers had slightly reduced schedules.

A spokesperson for Transavia France said the airline had cancelled 2% of its flights in May and June.

The French government is preparing support measures for airlines, including deferred social security payments, extended tax deadlines and greater flexibility on fuel loads.

European airlines have warned of possible jet fuel shortages within weeks as the conflict disrupts supplies from the Middle East, which accounts for about 75% of Europe’s jet fuel imports.

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said authorities would firmly prosecute and punish people accused of espionage, infiltration and "betraying the country."

In a statement published on Friday, Ejei said the judiciary’s strategy under current conditions was “clear” and that “traitorous elements” would be dealt with according to the law.

He described “traitors” as spies, infiltrators and people accused of undermining national unity, adding that the judiciary would pursue such cases decisively while remaining within the framework of Islamic law and justice.

Ejei also said authorities would stand against “those who break unity.”

A Japanese shipping company said three of its vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in April without paying any transit fees.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said the ships paid no charge to cross the strategic waterway.

The statement comes amid Iran’s attempts to impose new transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz and claims from Tehran that vessels must receive clearance to pass through the waterway.

A hardline Iranian lawmaker said Tehran no longer sees the United Arab Emirates as a neighbor and now views it as a “hostile base” for Iran’s enemies.

Ali Khezrian, a member of parliament from Tehran, said on Thursday the UAE had taken direct actions against Iran during the war.

“We no longer see the United Arab Emirates as a neighbor,” Khezrian said. “They are considered a hostile base.”

He said Iran’s new military and defense doctrine toward the UAE is similar to its approach to Iraqi Kurdistan, which Tehran has previously accused of hosting hostile networks and Israeli-linked activity.

A Republican congressman introduced legislation that would authorize President Donald Trump to continue military action against Iran until July 30, while barring US ground troops, occupation or long-term nation-building.

Congressman Tom Barrett said the bill, an Authorization for Use of Military Force, would give Trump a clear mandate to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program, prevent threats to Americans, maintain the blockade of Iranian ports and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for US and allied ships.

“The Commander in Chief has the sole authority to lead our troops in wartime, but I’ve lost too many friends on the battlefield to allow that to happen without Congress being involved,” Barrett wrote on X.

He said the measure would allow Trump “until July 30th to defeat Iran’s nuclear weapons program without putting a single American boot on the ground.”

The proposed authorization would require the administration to report to Congress every 30 days on military operations, civilian and military casualties, and the legal and policy basis for each action.

Barrett, an Army veteran who served in the Middle East, said Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon but warned against another open-ended war.

“If we don’t learn from our foreign policy failures of the past, we are bound to repeat them,” he said. “My AUMF will ensure that if we continue military action in Iran, we do so with clear eyes and a deadline-driven objective.”

Iran is carrying out near-daily executions in secrecy, with families sometimes informed only after prisoners have been killed and, in some cases, denied access to the bodies, the Guardian reported, citing rights groups and sources close to relatives.

At least 24 people have been executed since March, including six over two days, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group cited in the report.

The surge has raised fears for hundreds of detainees believed to be facing the death penalty over January’s anti-government protests, as well as prisoners accused of espionage during the war with the United States and Israel.

Rights groups say Iran’s internet blackout, now deep into its third month, has made it harder for families, activists and lawyers to communicate with people inside the country or document executions and abuses.

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A family member of Saleh Mohammadi, a teenage national wrestling champion executed in March, told the Guardian the family had faced harassment after his execution.

“After our brother’s execution, individuals who support the government have repeatedly gathered in front of our home, chanting slogans and subjecting us to ongoing harassment and psychological pressure,” the relative said.

Among those reportedly executed over the weekend were protester Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and two Kurdish prisoners, Nasser Bakerzadeh and Yaghoub Karimpour, who were accused of spying for Israel.

Rights groups also reported allegations of torture and forced confessions. In a voice note sent before his execution, Abdollahzadeh denied the accusations and said he had been tortured for weeks.

A source from Mashhad told the Guardian families of executed protesters were being pressured to remain silent, first in the hope of saving their relatives and later in the hope of retrieving their bodies.

Rights groups warned that the war has pushed Iran’s use of the death penalty out of view, allowing the authorities to intensify repression while international attention is focused on the conflict.