Iran said it would not close the strategic Strait of Hormuz but retains the right to ensure security in the vital waterway, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Saeid Iravani, told the UN that Tehran remained committed to freedom of navigation under international law despite rising tensions in West Asia. His remarks came after Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei signalled the strait could be used to pressure Iran’s adversaries.
Amid concerns over energy supplies, a Liberia-flagged tanker carrying about one million barrels of crude from Saudi Arabia crossed the Strait of Hormuz and docked at Mumbai this week, the first such shipment to reach India since the conflict began.
Benchmark Brent crude prices briefly rose above $100 a barrel, climbing nearly 40% since Israel and the United States launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, according to market data.
Elsewhere, the U.S. Central Command said a U.S. military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq early on Friday after an incident involving two aircraft, killing four of the six crew members. The military said the crash was under investigation and not caused by hostile fire.
Since the conflict began, U.S. forces have struck about 6,000 targets in Iran, including ships, command centres, missile sites and weapons facilities, the command added.
Iran’s health ministry said more than 1,200 people had been killed in the country since the start of hostilities, including women and children, while thousands were injured. In Israel, authorities said nearly 3,000 people had been wounded.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the campaign against Iran was progressing rapidly, while also claiming that Khamenei remained alive but had been “damaged”.
The conflict began after Israel and the United States launched a joint operation against Iran, citing concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran responded with strikes on Israel, U.S. military bases in the region and shipping in the Gulf.