Iraq says no oil tankers have crossed Hormuz since US-Iran truce
No Iraqi oil tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was announced, Iraq’s oil ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said more than 200,000 barrels of oil a day are currently being exported through the Kurdistan region to Turkey’s Ceyhan port.
The US-Iran ceasefire should be extended to Lebanon, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, adding that Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah must disarm.
“Hezbollah must disarm, as it agreed to do. The EU supports Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah,” Kallas wrote in a post on X.
Kallas said Hezbollah had dragged Lebanon into the war, but warned that Israeli strikes were putting the truce under strain.
“Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction,” she said.
IRGC Quds Force chief Esmail Ghaani said on Thursday that forces had delivered what he described as “regret-inducing lessons” to the enemies during the war with the US and Israel.
In a statement carried out by state media, he praised what he called the “axis of resistance,” saying their actions were courageous and decisive.
The "axis of resistance" is a term coined by slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to describe anti-US and anti-Israeli groups and governments in the Middle East.
He thanked fighters for their efforts and said they remained vigilant and prepared.
Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has entered its 41st day, with disruption exceeding 960 hours, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
"The measure, unprecedented in scale and duration for a connected society, continues to violate Iranians' rights to communicate and stay informed," it said.
Costa Rica designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, in a move that also blacklisted three other Iran-backed groups in the region.
Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and Houthis in Yemen were also designated.
The government made the decision on Monday, according to the ministry, which said the measure was taken in line with Costa Rica’s international commitments to combat terrorism and its financing.
The move will "allow intelligence authorities and judicial bodies to strengthen their prevention, investigation, and prosecution capabilities, acting more decisively against any logistical and financial support networks that may be operating within the country to sustain these organizations,” the foreign ministry said.
It added that the designation would help intelligence and judicial authorities strengthen their ability to prevent, investigate and prosecute logistical and financial support networks linked to the groups.
