Iran has submitted a nuclear proposal to the United States via Qatar, but the government insists that Washington must meet seven specific demands before any negotiations can start. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that the United States is currently reviewing the proposal, but it will only be discussed once Tehran's conditions are addressed.
The demands from Iran include lifting US sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and the payment of war reparations. Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's deputy security chief, stated that Tehran is not satisfied with "paper commitments" and is seeking practical American steps before engaging in new diplomacy. Additionally, senior security official Mohsen Rezaei warned that Iran will not negotiate or reopen the Strait of Hormuz without these seven conditions being met.
Maritime tensions in the Gulf escalated on Thursday when a seafarer was killed in an explosion believed to be the result of a missile attack on an oil products tanker. The Marshall Islands-flagged MT Velos Sapphire was traveling toward Bahrain when it was struck. The remaining crew managed to put out a fire, and the ship was moved to Bahrain's Khalifa Bin Salman Port for an investigation.
In a separate maritime incident, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker experienced an explosion near its port-side waterline while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles east of Oman's Khasab. The vessel remained operational and all crew members were safe.
In Bahrain, authorities have increased a crackdown on clerics accused of promoting allegiance to Iran. Between May and June, more than 50 clerics and religious figures were arrested over alleged efforts to incite rebellion and overthrow the government with Iranian backing. Bahrain's security chief Tariq Al Hassan said authorities are confronting an ideology that prioritizes obedience to Iran's leadership over national sovereignty. However, lawyers and relatives of the detained clerics have denied these allegations.
On Friday, air defenses led by Saudi-led coalition intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi group toward Najran. Meanwhile, the Houthis reported that a separate strike on a market in Yemen's Taiz province killed 30 people and injured eight, blaming Saudi aircraft for the attack.
