Saudi crown prince, US CENTCOM chief discuss regional tensions, Saudi media says
tehran
A senior Iranian official said on Friday that the general principles of a strategic action plan to manage the Strait of Hormuz were agreed upon in a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Councils, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iranian media.
A spokesperson of the committee, Valiullah Bayati, told Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency that “the strategic action plan to ensure the security and progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf was reviewed by the Councils’ Commission and, after hearing the opinions, its general outline was approved.”
According to Al Jazeera, one of the resolutions in the plan was to prohibit the passage of vessels and equipment owned by the United States, Israel, and other “hostile countries” through the strait.
“This is because these countries have used the Strait of Hormuz to carry out hostile actions against our country, and have committed unjust and aggressive acts against the Iranian people,” Bayati said.
Saudi crown prince, US CENTCOM chief discuss regional tensions
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper discussed efforts to reduce regional tensions on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the Saudi Press Agency.
The crown prince reportedly received Cooper for a meeting, however, the Saudi Press Agency did not specify where the talks were held, Anadolu Agency reported.
The two sides discussed Saudi-US cooperation in defence fields, regional developments, and ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and strengthen security and stability across the region, the news agency added.
As per Anadolu Agency, earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced that 13 countries had joined a multinational defensive maritime alliance, marking its effective launch.
The Saudi Defence Ministry said the alliance’s third planning meeting was held at the Western Fleet Command in the coastal city of Jeddah, with representatives from 39 countries participating.
The ministry described the meeting as a “key step” toward activating the alliance.
The Strait of Hormuz has seen escalating tensions amid the US-Iran war, raising fears of disruptions to shipping and global energy supplies despite diplomatic efforts to consolidate understandings on freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.
Vance says lower oil prices top priority over Iran nuclear issue
The US on Friday said that keeping oil and gas prices low for Americans was its top priority in the war, ahead of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict,” Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News, according to Anadolu Agency.
He added, “That’s goal number one–keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.” Vance also stated, “And then obviously goal number two is to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
