Second Turkish-owned ship passes through strait of Hormuz, official says<\/p>\n
A second Turkish-owned ship has passed through the strait of Hormuz, Turkey\u2019s transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said, as more vessels trickle through the narrow waterway.<\/p>\n
According to Uraloglu, there were 15 ships Turkish-owned ships in the strait when war broke out, and two of them have left. Speaking to CNN Turk, he said four ships have not requested to leave, two are energy carriers and two are engaged in regional trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working in coordination with the ministry of foreign affairs to remove the remaining nine ships,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
It was not clear when the second ship passed through the strait. Uraloglu announced safe passage of the first ship on 13 March after authorities received permission from Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world\u2019s oil, has become a key point of contention in bringing the conflict to an end, with Iranian threats to shipping rendering the waterway effectively shut.<\/p>\n Several vessels, however, have been allowed safe passage through the strait, according to reports, including a container ship owned by the French shipping company CMA CGM, which sailed out of the Gulf yesterday. It is believed to be the first ship owned by a western shipping line to have made safe passage since war began on 28 Feburary.<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s business reporter, Lauren Almeida, has looked at the number of vessels that have transited the strait so far, and the diplomatic efforts to get the key shipping route reopened. You can read her report here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.02 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n More on the reported strike near Iran\u2019s Bushehr nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has been informed of the incident, and that no increase in radiation levels was reported.<\/p>\n Earlier, Iranian media reported that one person was killed and a support building near the plant was damaged in the attack, which it blamed on the US and Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement on X, the IAEA said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe IAEA has been informed by Iran that a projectile struck close to the premises of the Bushehr [nuclear power plant] this morning, the fourth such incident in recent weeks. Iran also informed the IAEA that one of the site\u2019s physical protection staff members was killed by a projectile fragment and that a building on site was affected by shockwaves and fragments. No increase in radiation levels was reported.<\/p>\n It added that the IAEA director general, Rafael Grossi, expressed \u201cdeep concern\u201d over the reported incident, as he noted that auxiliary buildings \u201cmay contain vital safety equipment\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Italy\u2019s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has arrived in Qatar, a day after visiting Saudi Arabia for a previously unannounced trip to the Middle East that will also include meetings in the UAE.<\/p>\n The visit is aimed at showing support for Gulf partners facing Iranian attacks and to protect Italy\u2019s own energy supplies, a government official said. It is the first trip by an EU leader to the Gulf since the conflict began on 28 February.<\/p>\n Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, at the Doha International Airport in Qatar. Photograph: Qatar News Agency\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>US-Israeli strikes at Iran petrochemicals zone wound five people – state media<\/p>\n Iranian state media has reported explosions at a major petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran, saying it was hit by US-Israeli airstrikes that wounded five people.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several facilities at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone in the Khuzestan province were hit by strikes this morning. The Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex that operates within the zone sustained damage, the report added.<\/p>\n The news agency quoted the deputy governor for Khuzestan province, Valiollah Hayati, as saying: \u201cThe likelihood of human casualties, including fatalities and injuries, from this attack is very high.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>One person killed after US-Israeli attack near Iran nuclear power plant, state media reports<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Bushehr nuclear power plant has been targeted in a US-Israeli attack this morning, with a projectile striking the grounds near the facility, according to Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n One person was killed and the plant\u2019s auxiliary buildings sustained damage, the news agency reported. It added that there was no damage to the main section of the power plant and operations remain unaffected.<\/p>\n The news agency claimed it was the fourth attack on the power plant since the outbreak of war.<\/p>\n The US and Israel have not immediately commented on the claims.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Reuters news agency has reported that five EU finance ministers are calling for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in reaction to rising fuel prices due to the Middle East war.<\/p>\n In a letter to the EU Commission, seen by Reuters, ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria said the measure would \u201csend a clear message that those who profit from the consequences of the war must do their part to ease the burden on the general public\u201d.<\/p>\n Oil and gas prices have spiked since the war against Iran led to the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, prompting governments around the world to declare emergency measures<\/a> to limit the impact on consumers and the economy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Israeli military said it hit air defence sites and missile storage facilities during a wave of airstrikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran yesterday.<\/p>\n Among the targets was a site belonging to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) \u201cwhere missiles intended to strike aircraft were stored\u201d, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X.<\/p>\n The US and Israel have been bombing military sites in Iran over the past five weeks to erode Tehran\u2019s ability to retaliate, but US intelligence assessments suggest they have yet to achieve that objective. Citing such assessments, the New York Times reported that Iranian operatives have been digging out underground missile bunkers and silos struck by US-Israel strikes and returning them to operation hours after an attack. CNN also reported US sources as saying about a half of Iran\u2019s missile launchers are still intact.<\/p>\n The reports contradict remarks by Donald Trump earlier this week<\/a>, that Iran\u2019s \u201cability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed\u201d and that the war was \u201cnearing completion\u201d.<\/p>\n Smoke rises after an airstrike in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh\/EPAShare<\/a>Second Turkish-owned ship passes through strait of Hormuz, official says<\/p>\n A second Turkish-owned ship has passed through the strait of Hormuz, Turkey\u2019s transport minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said, as more vessels trickle through the narrow waterway.<\/p>\n According to Uraloglu, there were 15 ships Turkish-owned ships in the strait when war broke out, and two of them have left. Speaking to CNN Turk, he said four ships have not requested to leave, two are energy carriers and two are engaged in regional trade.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are working in coordination with the ministry of foreign affairs to remove the remaining nine ships,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It was not clear when the second ship passed through the strait. Uraloglu announced safe passage of the first ship on 13 March after authorities received permission from Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world\u2019s oil, has become a key point of contention in bringing the conflict to an end, with Iranian threats to shipping rendering the waterway effectively shut.<\/p>\n Several vessels, however, have been allowed safe passage through the strait, according to reports, including a container ship owned by the French shipping company CMA CGM, which sailed out of the Gulf yesterday. It is believed to be the first ship owned by a western shipping line to have made safe passage since war began on 28 Feburary.<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s business reporter, Lauren Almeida, has looked at the number of vessels that have transited the strait so far, and the diplomatic efforts to get the key shipping route reopened. You can read her report here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.02 EDT<\/p>\n The day so far<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a rundown on the latest news from the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a> to bring you up to speed. It\u2019s 10.30am in Tehran, 10am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 3am in Washington DC.<\/p>\n Iranian and American forces were racing each other early on Saturday to recover a crew member<\/a> <\/a>of the first US fighter jet to go down<\/a> in Iran since the war began.<\/p>\n Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane. US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members and the other was still missing, with a search operation under way. Iran urged people in the rugged south-west to also search for the jet\u2019s crew.<\/p>\n The Iranian military said it also downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot was rescued.<\/p>\n Donald Trump told NBC the F-15 loss would not affect negotiations with Iran: \u201cNo, not at all. No, it\u2019s war.\u201d<\/p>\n A man takes pictures with his mobile phone of the B1 bridge on Friday, a day after it was destroyed by a US strike in Karaj, south-west of Tehran. Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Fresh strikes hit Iran, Israel, Lebanon and Gulf countries. The Israeli military said on Saturday it began striking \u201cHezbollah infrastructure\u201d in Beirut after destroying a bridge in eastern Lebanon to prevent the Iran-backed group\u2019s reinforcements from crossing. Two loud explosions were heard in the capital within half an hour early on Saturday. Israel said it also launched a wave of strikes of Tehran.<\/p>\n The three UN peacekeepers wounded in a blast in southern Lebanon on Friday were from Indonesia, UN officials said \u2013 the third such incident in a week. It came just days after three other Indonesians were killed in separate explosions.<\/p>\n A fire was reported after a drone hit storage facilities belonging to foreign oil companies west of Iraq\u2019s southern port city of Basra, Reuters cited security sources as saying.<\/p>\n Recent US intelligence reports say Iran is unlikely to open the strait of Hormuz any time soon because its grip on the world\u2019s most vital oil artery provides the only real leverage it has over the US, Reuters reported, citing three sources.<\/p>\n Israeli fire killed a man in Syria\u2019s Quneitra province in the south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media said. The man was killed by \u201can Israeli tank\u201d, the Sana agency said, while state TV said a car was targeted.<\/p>\n An Egyptian national was killed and four others wounded after a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi, caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack, the government media office said.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s emergency service said a 45-year-old man was treated for minor injuries after Iran fired missiles at the central city of Bnei Brak on Saturday.<\/p>\n Iran executed two men convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and carrying out disruptive actions aimed at overthrowing the Islamic republic, the judiciary said.<\/p>\n Dubai authorities said they responded to a \u201cminor incident\u201d caused by debris from an aerial interception falling on to the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City. No injuries were reported, the city\u2019s media office said.<\/p>\n Trump asked US lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn defence budget for 2027, which would lift Pentagon spending by more than 40% in a single year \u2013 the sharpest increase since the second world war.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.13 EDT<\/p>\n Here are some images coming in from around the Middle East as the war enters week six.<\/p>\n Missiles launched from Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks are seen in the skies over Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesAn official walks next to the damaged Azadi sports complex in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh\/EPAAn Israeli woman with a child looks at the tail section of a ballistic missile launched from Iran, in the Jewish settlement of Shadmot Mehola in the northern Jordan Valley, Israel. Photograph: Erik Marmor\/Getty ImagesA poster of victims killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit their house is seen through a destroyed car in Saksakiyeh village, south Lebanon. Photograph: Hussein Malla\/APPeople carry Palestinian flags gather at the historic Umayyad mosque in Damascus, Syria, after Friday prayers. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesA residential building damaged by recent strikes at Vahdat town in Karaj, south-west of Tehran, Iran, on Friday. Photograph: Majid Saeedi\/Getty ImagesWounded Palestinians including children are transferred to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after Israeli attacks despite the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza. Photograph: Omar Ashtawy\/APAImages\/ShutterstockDisplaced children and families desperate for food at a food distribution point being run by activists in Beirut. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesAftermath of a projectile impact in Kiryat Ata, northern Israel. Updated at\u00a002.56 EDT<\/p>\n UN says three wounded peacekeepers are Indonesian<\/p>\n The three United Nations peacekeepers wounded in a blast in southern Lebanon<\/a> on Friday were from Indonesia, UN officials said, just days after three other Indonesians were killed in separate explosions.<\/p>\n The UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) said the blast occurred inside a UN facility near El Adeisse on Friday afternoon, injuring three peacekeepers who were rushed to a hospital. Two were seriously wounded.<\/p>\n The UN information centre in Jakarta said the \u201corigin of the explosion\u201d was unknown but identified the wounded peacekeepers as Indonesian, Agence France-Presse is reporting.<\/p>\n Unifil vehicles driving on a main road in Qlayaa, southern Lebanon, on 27 March. Photograph: Karamallah Daher\/Reuters<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s incident came just days after an Indonesian peacekeeper died when a projectile exploded on 29 March in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah<\/a> are fighting.<\/p>\n AFP quoted a UN security source as claiming on condition of anonymity on Tuesday that fire from an Israeli tank was responsible.<\/p>\n A day later, two more Indonesian peacekeepers died after an explosion struck a Unifil logistics convoy, also in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n The bodies of the three fallen peacekeepers are scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday evening, according to the military.<\/p>\n
Photograph: Shir Torem\/ReutersA Muslim woman prays as a Jewish couple stands next to her at the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem\u2019s Old City. Photograph: Mahmoud Illean\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n