United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been successfully removed or detonated in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
He emphasised a “zero tolerance policy” on mine placement, asserting that Washington was using Space Force technology to monitor “every square inch” of the strategic waterway, as well as Pickaxe Mountain and “the already destroyed three other nuclear sites”.
Trump says Iran executions are a ‘humanitarian crisis of epic proportions’
He earlier condemned the mounting executions in Iran of people allegedly linked to mass protests earlier this year, before the Middle East war began, AFP reported.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of failing to pay large sections of its military while continuing to execute protesters, including people who were no longer protesting.
“The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before,” he wrote.
“It is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, and must be stopped, NOW,” he added.
Mohsen Rezaei says regional countries will decide their own future
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has said Iran wants a strong and independent Iraq, according to Iranian news agency ISNA.
Speaking during a meeting with Faiq Zidane, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Rezaei said regional countries would determine their own future and that the United States would have no place in the region’s future.
“The countries of their region will decide their future and the United States will have no place in the future of the region,” he said.
Qatar says US sanctions on Iran are unilateral, calls for mediation efforts
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that US sanctions on Iran are “unilateral”. He added that Qatar supported mediation efforts to resolve the issue.
According to Al Jazeera, he said that Qatar rejected Iran’s attempt to “drag” regional countries into the war whenever it is attacked by a third party, and that there is full coordination among the Gulf states to deal with various escalation scenarios.
US offers $10m reward for information on key IRGC commanders
The US has offered rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of five senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program said on Monday.
The program named IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters chief Ali Abdollahi, IRGC Aerospace Force UAV commander Sa’id Aghajani, IRGC Cyber-Electronic Command chief Hamidreza Zolasgharian and IRGC Intelligence Office commander Majid Khademi.
“These individuals command and direct various elements of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which plans, organises, and executes terrorism around the World,” Rewards for Justice said on US social media company X.
People who provide actionable information may also qualify for relocation assistance in addition to a financial reward, according to the program.
The latest offer comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and follows previous US efforts to gather information on senior Iranian officials and IRGC figures.
The IRGC has been designated by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation since 2019. Washington has repeatedly accused the force and its branches of supporting armed groups and conducting operations that threaten US personnel and infrastructure.
US prepares to send diplomats back to Middle East embassies after Iran war evacuations, NYT reports
The US State Department is preparing to return diplomats to embassies in the Middle East that were evacuated before and during the war with Iran, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an internal State Department document.
The return of Foreign Service officers and the scaling back of emergency measures at US missions in the region could begin as early as this week, the report said.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report. The US Department of State could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular business hours.
Embassies slated to restore higher staffing levels include those in Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Iraq and Kuwait, according to the report.
In a statement quoted by the New York Times, the State Department said it “continuously reviews the security posture at our diplomatic missions around the world.”
“Based on our latest assessment, we are adjusting our staffing posture at certain posts in the Middle East to ensure we can continue advancing US foreign policy objectives while protecting the safety and security of our personnel,” it added.
According to the document, the first diplomats to return would be assigned to the US Embassy in Lebanon, although staffing there would remain below full levels. Ultimately, staff would return completely to the US embassies in Israel, Jordan and Oman, the report said.
Posts in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon would initially be capped at 85% staffing, while missions in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain would be limited to 75%, according to the document.
The staff reductions began in February, when Washington authorised voluntary departures of non-emergency personnel and family members from Israel amid tensions with Iran.
China urges US not to disrupt its cooperation with Iran amid fresh sanctions
China on Tuesday urged the US not to disrupt its cooperation with Iran after Washington announced “Operation Economic Outcast,” a sweeping campaign intended to completely isolate Tehran from the global financial system.
“China’s cooperation with Iran is conducted within the framework of international law and should not be disrupted,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.
He warned that the new US sanctions risk disrupting the global financial order, stressing the need for the warring sides to hold talks to end the conflict.
“Economic wars and maximum pressure are not the solution,” Lin said, when asked about the new sanctions regime launched by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday.
Lin said such moves “will only lead to escalation and risks of spillover, which will disrupt the global economic and financial order and harm the legitimate interests of other countries.”
“The pressing task is to facilitate de-escalation and return to dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible,” said the spokesman, stressing that China “will take necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests.”
China is one of the largest importers of Iranian oil as the two countries maintain a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” driven primarily by economic ties and discounted energy imports.
Bilateral trade volume climbed to over $41 billion last year.
Stating that China “is closely monitoring the developments,” Lin reiterated China’s “firm opposition to illicit, unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or the authorization of the UN Security Council.”
US Treasury Secretary Bessent said the US “objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.”
The US is “no longer managing the Iranian threat” but rather “ending it,” Bessent said, adding that the “strength of America’s economy” enabled Washington to conduct such a financial offensive alongside military operations.
Also on China, Bessent said: “The best way to engage with countries is through quiet diplomacy,” adding that the US was currently “level setting” expectations with Beijing.