Press TV's news headlines

Iran Hormuz control

Iran's top security official has reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is totally closed and all claims by US President Donald Trump about the strategic waterway being open are mere lies. In a televised interview, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said before the strait was closed, more than 100 ships transported over 100 million tonnes of goods, but their number has now fallen to a maximum of seven to eight ships. He noted that Americans try to help half a dozen ships cross the strait through unauthorized routes by spending a lot of money, but most of those ships are hit by Iranian forces. Rezaei said in the coming days, a prohibited zone will be announced outside the Strait of Hormuz, which will start from the US Navy's blockade line, and include areas of the Persian Gulf. He said any ship entering this new zone will be placed on Iran's sanctions list. Rezaei noted that during the latest face-off with American forces, Iran for the first time tested an anti-destroyer missile to scare an American aircraft carrier away. He added that Iran will only commit to keeping the Hormuz Strait open when the US neither threatens the country nor attacks it.

US aggression against Iran

Iran's Foreign Ministry has slammed the US for blaming Tehran for the global consequences of the unlawful war it has started in West Asia, including rising energy prices. The ministry’s spokesman said in a social media post that the Strait of Hormuz was wide open before the US-Israeli aggression against Iran began. Esmaeil Baqaei added that Washington has unleashed an unlawful and savage war on the region, which has disrupted the normal flow of commercial shipping. He said as a result of the US aggression, oil tankers have stopped operating, trade has been disrupted, and energy prices are rising across the globe. Baqaei stressed that the US started the war, but expects the whole world to pay the price, while portraying Iran as the one that caused this chaos. He noted that Washington is now trying to present the world with the bill for a disruption of its own making, and blamed Iran's behavior for the current situation, which is utterly preposterous.

Israel violations in Gaza

Israeli forces continue to violate the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring more civilians across the war-torn territory. According to local sources, a Palestinian man and his daughter were killed after Israeli aircraft targeted a vehicle in the al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City. Six other Palestinians were injured in the attack, some critically. Another Palestinian man was killed in a drone strike on civilians in the vicinity of the communications building, west of Gaza City. Israeli artillery fire also targeted a classroom at a school sheltering displaced people in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, killing a child and injuring several others. According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 1,300 civilians have lost their lives in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire entered into force last October. The new fatalities increase the total Palestinian death toll in Gaza since October 2023 to more than 73,600. More than 174,000 civilians have also been injured.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk