Day 163 | UAE says Iran targeted tanker as Oman cites progress in Hormuz talks
Oman on Saturday described its negotiations with Iran over the future management of the Strait of Hormuz as "positive," while Tehran said the talks were nearing their "final stages," as Abu Dhabi accused the Islamic Republic of targeting an Emirati tanker in the strategic waterway.
Iran has effectively closed the strait since the beginning of the war and is seeking to require ships passing through it to pay "service fees" for transit.
It has repeatedly attacked vessels it accuses of attempting to circumvent the route it has designated.
The United States opposes Iran collecting any fees from ships using the strait, although the memorandum of understanding reached by the two warring countries last June allows the Islamic Republic to "determine the future management of maritime services" in the strait through dialogue with Oman, which lies on the opposite shore.
The Islamic Republic announced Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Oman on a new transit route through the strait, which has been a major source of tensions with the United States.
Continued attacks in the strait, which was open to navigation before the war, led to the collapse of a ceasefire reached in April. Since then, mediators have sought to persuade both sides to return to the terms of the memorandum of understanding.
The UAE Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned what it described as "an aggressive Iranian attack targeting an ADNOC tanker with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with no injuries reported."
Later Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a vessel was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that was brought under control without any injuries.
It was not immediately clear whether the British agency was referring to the ADNOC oil tanker or another vessel.
ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, said in a statement Friday that 15 of its vessels had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, "including three vessels this week alone."
Oman's Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned "repeated attacks on vessels while transiting the Strait of Hormuz," without explicitly naming Iran.
It said, however, that negotiations with Iran over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz were being conducted "in a positive and constructive atmosphere," and urged all sides to avoid actions that could undermine the progress made.
Egypt could join Makkah defense pact, says Turkish foreign minister
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Egypt could join the newly signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, describing the country as a natural partner in the emerging regional security framework.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the pact on Friday in the Saudi city of Makkah.
The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formalized the deal amid heightened regional tensions.
In an interview with Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Fidan explained that the agreement is “technically similar to NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense.”
He stressed its purely defensive character: “There is no common threat that we have put in writing.”
No country that refrains from attacking the signatories is a target, he added, and “Iran is not in the crosshairs of this agreement.”
Fidan expressed confidence that Egypt would come on board. “I believe that at the next stage Egypt will also be among us in the alliance. We already act toward one another as if we were alliance members,” he said.
“There are a few technical issues. Once these are implemented, there is no reason for Egypt not to be part of it.”
He called Egypt a “natural partner on all issues.”
Preparations for the deal had been underway for nearly two years and eight months and involved both the signatories and other regional countries, Fidan noted.
Under the arrangement, a country under attack would request assistance and specify the form of support needed—ranging from intelligence and logistics to ammunition or military units.
The alliance will establish a political and military committee of foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff, with a secretariat based in Saudi Arabia.
Fidan framed the pact as a major step toward regional stability.
“The agreement was the most important step toward bringing lasting stability to this region,” he said. He underscored President Erdoğan’s broader vision: “Under our president’s vision, we should not remain limited to three countries. We should grow and, if necessary, bring all countries under this umbrella.”
Several countries have already shown interest in joining, according to the minister.
Fire breaks out at Aramco facility in Jazan: Saudi energy ministry
Firefighters from Saudi Aramco’s extinguished a fire that broke out early Sunday at a facility affiliated with the company’s refinery in Jazan, the Saudi energy ministry said on Sunday morning.
No injuries were reported in the incident, added the brief statement.
“Relevant authorities are continuing to take the necessary measures to address the incident,” according to the statement.
The ministry did not reveal what sparked the fire.
However, Jazan lies in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia, near the border shared with an area controlled by the Yemen's Houthis.
In late July, the Iran-backed group claimed an attack on Jazan.
They’ve also targeted several Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea.
‘Israel’ prepares for potential solo strike on Iran amid US hesitation: Hebrew media
‘Israel’ is actively preparing for the possibility of conducting independent military operations against Iran, according to a report by Hebrew Channel 13.
The preparations come as the United States shows signs of seeking a diplomatic off-ramp from the ongoing conflict, with senior American officials expressing doubts about further escalation through airstrikes alone.
Channel 13 reported that the ‘Israeli’ military continues to ready options for unilateral action even as Washington waits for a response from Tehran on a potential agreement.
The report follows a CNN story indicating that US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine has been “looking for an off-ramp” from the war with Iran and has discussed the matter with key Trump administration figures, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.
According to the CNN reporting, Caine has conveyed concerns that available military options to escalate the conflict could produce counterproductive results and that airpower alone is unlikely to achieve the administration’s stated objectives.
A White House official pushed back on characterizations of internal doubt, describing Caine as “an incredible asset” to President Donald Trump’s national security team and noting the success of previous operations.
Caine’s spokesman declined to discuss private conversations.
Vice President JD Vance was quoted saying that Iran also wants to end the fighting: “Iran also wants to finish, the question is whether it can give what we want.”
American officials had hoped to announce progress on a deal before the weekend, pending Tehran’s reply.
The broader context includes reports of strained US munitions stockpiles after months of fighting.
Reuters and other outlets have noted significant use of precision long-range missiles and interceptors, with shortages cited as one factor limiting further large-scale American strikes.
‘Israeli’ officials have long stressed that they will not allow Iran to restore or expand capabilities viewed as existential threats, particularly ballistic missiles and nuclear-related infrastructure.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has previously directed the military to prepare for a “blue-and-white” (independent Israeli) operation if necessary, stating that any Iranian missile fire at ‘Israel’ would trigger a forceful response and that “there is no equation we will accept in which Iran fires at Israel.”
Earlier comments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ministers have also referenced the possibility of confronting Iran without full US backing, while emphasizing that ‘Israel’ prefers not to reach that point.
Iranian media releases likely old footage of Mojtaba Khamenei
Iranian media has released what it says is footage of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “for the first time”.
The footage is undated, but it appears to have been recorded before the start of the ‘Israeli’-US war; as similar footage of the same setting was released in early March.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a single appearance or released a voice statement since being chosen as supreme leader, with western intelligence agencies estimating that he’s alive but badly injured.
Pentagon presses defense firms to increase weapons production as Iran war depletes stocks
The Pentagon is urgently pressing US defense companies to sharply accelerate production and delivery of weapons, particularly munitions critically depleted by the ongoing war with Iran, according to a Defense Department memo obtained by The Washington Post.
The directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg highlights extreme shortages of key systems and underscores tensions over America’s dwindling arsenal amid the prolonged war against Iran.
Outside closed-door meetings and formal guidance, US forces have expended vast quantities of precision munitions.
Independent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that Patriot interceptors fell from about 2,200 before the conflict to fewer than 827, while THAAD missiles dropped from 452 to under 278.
The United States also fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with replenishment of prewar inventories potentially stretching into late 2030 under current production rates.
“The United States has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict,” CSIS stated in an earlier assessment.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly downplayed the crisis at times, telling lawmakers the munitions issue “has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated” and that “we have all the munitions needed to execute what we need to execute.”
Yet administration actions—including invoking the Defense Production Act and seeking emergency funding—reveal deeper private concerns.
Feinberg’s memo forms part of a broader push that includes multiyear framework agreements with both traditional primes and newer defense-tech firms.
In meetings with executives, Hegseth has stressed that companies will be “critical to restocking the nation’s supplies.”
The Pentagon has announced deals aimed at aggressively expanding low-cost missile production with firms such as Anduril, Castelion, and others, seeking thousands of affordable strike weapons in coming years.
Major contractors are responding with capacity expansions.
Lockheed Martin is working to triple or more production of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors and quadruple THAAD output, while RTX (Raytheon’s parent) targets higher Tomahawk rates.
These firms have reported soaring order backlogs and raised profit forecasts as demand surges from both US replenishment needs and allied purchases.
“Contractors that are willing to change with us will prosper and grow,” Feinberg has told industry audiences; “those who don’t, and resist it, will be gone.”
Officials acknowledge that full recovery will take years even with accelerated efforts, leaving regional commands in Asia and Europe temporarily less ready for other contingencies.
The administration has sought supplemental funding, including billions specifically for munitions, while encouraging private investment in new plants and production lines.
Hegseth has praised industry moves “so that we’re getting weapons faster than ever.”
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