Qatar PM Visits Tehran to Relaunch Diplomacy

Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani will visit Tehran today to relaunch diplomacy with Iran. The visit aims to discuss the continuation of Qatar’s mediation efforts and other regional developments, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, as reported by Reuters.

This diplomatic initiative unfolds against a backdrop of escalating military and legal measures targeting Iran. The U.S. Justice Department plans to activate a civil-war-era maritime war court to streamline the military capture of Iranian oil tankers as U.S. prizes, according to sources. The revival is intended to strengthen the blockade of Iran and offset the cost of the conflict for the United States.

Strait of Hormuz Agreement Not Finalized

A senior Iranian source told Reuters yesterday that an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz has not been finalized. This statement came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the countries had agreed on how to share the waterway and its revenues. The source added that talks were continuing on the details of an accord.

Regional Defense and Global Concerns

Greek sources told Reuters today that an air defense system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted a swarm of drones in the Yanbu region, which has major oil refining facilities. It is the third time the Greek-operated system has been used in combat since the Iran war began.

The prolonged conflict is causing wider strategic anxieties. The continued expenditure of U.S. munitions in the Middle East is worrying Asian allies and Pentagon officials overseeing the Indo-Pacific, current and former officials and diplomats told the Washington Post. They fear the prolonged war with Iran could embolden China as it continues to step up military pressure across the region.

CIA Chief Warns Russia on NATO

In a related development, C.I.A. Chief John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow was to warn Russia against attacking NATO, according to sources. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were mentioned in particular. Ratcliffe also used the trip to press Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the talks but not present.

EU Revives Plan for Russian Assets

Separately, EU countries plan to renew efforts to leverage immobilised Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine. According to sources, a letter from a coalition of states to the European Commission will call for a restart of the concept. It will seek clarity on any progress in alternative legal and technical frameworks that could bypass Belgium’s veto of the idea last year. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the plan is the fair and smart way to make sure that Ukraine can defend itself and all of Europe.