Waltz said Washington was pressing other states to take part in operations to reopen the strategic waterway. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed talks were under way.
A day earlier, President Donald Trump called on countries most affected by the Iranian blockade to send warships to the region, naming China, Japan, South Korea, France and Britain.
The war in the Middle East and the closure of Hormuz have driven oil prices to around USD 100 a barrel, Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported. In response, the International Energy Agency said oil from emergency reserves would soon begin reaching global markets, with supplies from Asia and Oceania available immediately and those from Europe and the Americas due at the end of March. The agency had earlier announced the release of 400 million barrels, the largest such action in its history.
Responding to Trump’s appeal, South Korea said on Sunday it was “closely analyzing” the issue.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi urged the world to avoid steps that could intensify the conflict. He said Iran’s retaliatory strikes were not aimed at civilian sites or residential areas in the Middle East, and added Tehran was ready to establish an international commission to investigate responsibility for such attacks.
Fighting continued across the region throughout the weekend. A drone struck a base in Kuwait housing Italian and U.S. troops and military equipment, though no one was hurt. Israeli media reported several hits in Tel Aviv during an Iranian missile attack, while debris on Saturday damaged the residence of the U.S. consul in Jerusalem. Iran said it had also carried out drone strikes on a police unit and a satellite communications center in Israel.
Israel continued attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and announced a “targeted ground operation” in the southern part of the country. Lebanese official sources said at least four people were killed in Israeli air strikes overnight from Saturday to Sunday in southern Lebanon. In two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, 826 people have been killed, including 106 children, and more than 830,000 displaced, according to PAP.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was not planning direct talks with Lebanon’s authorities, despite earlier statements from Beirut about forming a delegation for direct negotiations. Israeli media also said the government had approved USD 827 million in “urgent” military purchases.
Inside Iran, security forces arrested 20 people for an alleged “attempt to cooperate with Israel,” according to Tasnim. It added that the Revolutionary Guards also vowed on Sunday to “hunt down and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Source: PAP
Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.