Day 236 | 'Israeli' fighter jets conduct drills in Iraqi airspace near Iranian border

• King Charles III praised Oman’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
• Sultan Haitham bin Tariq began a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom, the first by an Omani sultan in more than four decades.
• The visit comes as Oman continues to play a mediating role amid regional tensions and the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

Britain’s King Charles III on Tuesday praised Oman’s efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, as Sultan Haitham bin Tariq began a state visit to the United Kingdom; the first by an Omani sultan in more than four decades.

During a dinner hosted in the sultan’s honour at Windsor Castle, King Charles highlighted the longstanding diplomatic, military and historical ties between the two countries. He commended Oman’s efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy supplies.

Addressing around 160 guests, King Charles praised Oman’s “constructive neutrality” and its role as a trusted interlocutor among parties to regional conflicts, saying its diplomatic contributions extended beyond the strategic waterway.

The three-day state visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the conflict between Washington and Tehran, with Muscat playing a central role in diplomatic mediation.

Sultan Haitham is scheduled to hold talks on Wednesday with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to discuss security, trade and investment. Senior officials from major companies are also expected to attend related engagements.

Read more: Qatar urges Iran to halt 'irresponsible attacks' in Strait of Hormuz

• He vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, saying his government would seek to eliminate the Iranian regime’s threat.
• Netanyahu cited US President Donald Trump’s support as a key factor ahead of the ‘Israeli’ election.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued stark warnings to Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Tuesday, vowing that any attack on ‘Israel’ would be answered with a blow “they have never dreamed of.”

Casting the coming election as a referendum on Iran, Netanyahu invoked remarks by US President Donald Trump, who, he said, had pinpointed the defining question facing voters: whether the Iranian threat will finally be eliminated, as Tehran works to revive its nuclear programme.

Netanyahu said Trump had described him as his only partner in an effort to end that threat “once and for all.” Appealing directly to the electorate to back his Likud party, he said: “Iran will not destroy us. We will destroy the Iranian regime, and as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

The remarks came after a telephone call between the two leaders, in which they reaffirmed their close coordination and political alignment.

Netanyahu lavished praise on the American president, calling him “the greatest friend in the White House” and a leader whose courage had emboldened “an entire civilization.” The two men, he said, share a mission that remains to be completed.

Trump returned the compliments in kind. He described Netanyahu as a “great warrior” who had been treated unfairly, voiced confidence that the ‘Israeli’ leader was headed for a “great victory,” and said he had written his words of support himself, a gesture meant to underscore his personal backing.

Read more: US VP declines to endorse Netanyahu in 'Israeli' elections

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Tehran is fully prepared to defend itself if the United States and 'Israel' launch another war against Iran.

“We are fully prepared to face a new war. We are completely ready to defend ourselves and our people and will hold out until the last moment,” Araghchi said.

“They have tested us before, and they can do it again,” he added.

• He says talks mediated by Pakistan, Qatar and other countries are continuing, despite unresolved disagreements over the terms of a proposed seven-day plan.
• Araghchi says the plan envisaged the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on its sixth day, while Washington sought to add further provisions to the arrangement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the United States must fulfill its commitments under a previously signed Islamabad memorandum of understanding before Tehran will enter into further negotiations, underscoring the gap between the two sides as diplomatic efforts continue over a proposed arrangement that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with the Iraqi News Network, Araghchi said Iran had made compliance with the existing commitments a prerequisite for discussing additional issues, while leaving open the possibility of addressing outstanding disputes in a final stage of negotiations.

“What we want from the Americans is adherence to all the commitments contained in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding that was previously signed,” he said, according to Iranian media.

“After they adhere to these commitments, we can enter into negotiations on other cases,” Araghchi added.

He said negotiations between Tehran and Washington were continuing through intermediary countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, suggesting that diplomatic channels remained active despite the unresolved terms of a potential agreement.

Araghchi also outlined details of an Iranian proposal known as the “Seven-Day Plan,” which he said had previously been presented to the United States with Iran’s conditions clearly specified.

Under the proposal, the Strait of Hormuz was supposed to be fully reopened on the sixth day of the period, Araghchi said. He added that Washington had informed Tehran it accepted the conditions but sought to introduce several additional clauses.

According to the Iranian foreign minister, those proposed additions concerned issues that had already been addressed in earlier rounds of negotiations.

Araghchi said a final stage of talks could provide an opportunity for either side to raise remaining issues and work toward a comprehensive agreement, but he gave no indication that the two governments had resolved their differences over the proposed plan.

The Strait of Hormuz at the center of diplomacy

The dispute carries implications beyond the negotiations themselves. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most strategically important energy corridors, carrying a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Any disruption to traffic through the strait can affect energy markets, shipping costs and the security calculations of countries that depend on Gulf exports. Its reopening has therefore become a central issue in efforts to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States.

Araghchi's account suggests that the proposed seven-day arrangement was intended to link progress on the waterway to a broader set of commitments. However, his interview did not specify the additional clauses sought by Washington, nor did it establish whether the two sides had agreed on a revised timetable.

Read more: Netanyahu says 'Israel' must eliminate Iranian regime