War: latest news. US Command: shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz cleared of mines

Getting diplomacy “back on track” is not impossible, but it depends on the United States’ ability to realise that putting pressure on Iran does not work. This was stated by the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi.

“Getting diplomacy back on track is not impossible. It depends on the United States understanding one simple fact: pressure does not work,” Araghchi wrote on X. “The United States should build trust, speak respectfully, recognise our rights and honour its commitments,” the minister added.

US President Donald Trump continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz is American territory. In a post on his social media platform Truth, he published an image entitled ‘US Territories’ showing various flags, including those of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Marshall Islands, alongside an illustration of the Strait of Hormuz, which is labelled as ‘new’ territory.

“The blockade and the economic marginalisation will crush Iran’s already fragile economy. The United States has exported 130 million barrels of oil over the last 14 days. Iran: 0.” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote this on X.

“We, too, for that matter, do not want a toll to be introduced (for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, ed.), but this is an issue that will need to be discussed further,” said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with the RBC television channel.

The minister added that the Strait of Hormuz remained completely open until 28 February this year, that is, before the United States and Israel launched their aggression against Iran. He also pointed out that the issue of tolls for passage through the strait had not been discussed “until the United States and Israel took this initiative”.

The United Nations Human Rights Office has criticised the Trump administration’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, describing it as a “disproportionate and unnecessary” restriction on the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This was reported by the Reuters news agency.

On Wednesday, Washington added Palestine Action to its list of terrorist organisations, claiming that the decision forms part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to combat left-wing groups as part of his counter-terrorism policy. The Israeli Foreign Ministry welcomed the move.

There are around 50,000 US military personnel deployed in US operations in the Middle East. This was stated by the commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper.

“Many of our 50,000 US military personnel operating across the region are doing an exceptional job of enforcing the naval blockade against Iran, whilst at the same time ensuring the flow of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” said Cooper.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to economically isolate Iran at next week’s G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, an event overshadowed by wars and trade tensions. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s 20 leading economies will meet next Monday and Tuesday to kick off the talks, which are the first of several ministerial meetings in 2026, in preparation for the G20 Leaders’ Summit that President Donald Trump will host in Florida in December. In Asheville, US officials will emphasise to G20 countries the importance of complying with sanctions against Iran, a US Treasury official has reported, indicating that Bessent will make direct appeals to his counterparts during bilateral meetings, without, however, specifying who they are scheduled to meet or whether China – the leading buyer of Iranian oil – is among the participants. Also on the agenda are issues such as industrial overcapacity, the promotion of more robust economic growth and the creation of reliable supply chains for critical resources such as energy. Although the G20 talks have expanded to cover issues such as climate change and global health, analysts predict that this year Washington will advocate a ‘back-to-basics’ approach, which entails a renewed focus on debt, trade, financial stability and banking regulation. The upcoming meeting, however, comes at a time when US global leadership is being put to the test. Concerns are mounting over US debt levels, whilst the massive tariffs imposed by Trump on rivals and historic allies, such as Canada, have made relations particularly strained. Against a backdrop of uncertainty over the course of the conflict between the US and Iran. The G20 comprises 19 nations plus the EU and the African Union: this year, under the US presidency, South Africa has been excluded from the G20, whilst Washington has invited Poland to take a seat at the negotiating table.

Donald Trump continues to refer to the Strait of Hormuz as “a new American territory”. In a collage of flags posted on Truth, the tycoon mentions a number of US territories, including Guam, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and American Samoa, alongside the ‘new’ addition, represented by a stylised image of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Israeli army fired two artillery shells between the town of Beit Jinn and the Red Hills, on the western outskirts of Damascus, according to the country’s official news agency, Sana. The two shells landed on farmland and no injuries were reported, the agency added. This was reported by Al Jazeera. Syria continues to demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from its territory, insisting that all measures taken by Israeli forces in the areas under their control are null and void under international law, Sana reported, adding that Damascus has also called on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities and compel Israel to withdraw completely from southern Syria.

US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, the most senior US military commander in the Middle East and head of the US Central Command (Centcom), has stated that the international shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared of mines.

“Today, international shipping routes are open and we are pressing ahead with vigour,” he said in a video posted on social media.