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SAUDI ARABIA BREAKING NEWS
Xi Jinping and Saudi Crown Prince Call for De-Escalation and Open Strait of Hormuz
📷 | SPA RIYADH/BEIJING, April 20, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the urgent need for regional de-escalation and the protection of global energy supplies in a high-level phone call on Monday, state media reported. The conversation between the leaders of the world’s top oil exporter and the second-largest economy focused heavily on maritime security, specifically the stability of the Strait
Apr 201 min read
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Closes Strait of Hormuz, Warns of Strikes on Violating Vessels
RIYADH, April 19 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz fully closed Saturday, warning that any vessel violating the closure would be targeted, state media reported. The navy said it extended a closure to a corridor it had previously designated for safe passage through the strategic waterway, conditioning any reopening on the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and ships. On Friday, Iran had said ves
Apr 191 min read
India summons Iran envoy after Indian ships reverse course in Strait of Hormuz
NEW DELHI, April 18 — India summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi on Saturday after two Indian-flagged vessels were forced to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, according to a statement from India’s External Affairs Ministry. India’s foreign secretary conveyed New Delhi’s “deep concern” over the incident to the Iranian envoy, the ministry said. According to the statement, the Indian official also noted that T
Apr 181 min read
Iran declares Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for rest of ceasefire
Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war causing chaos in global oil markets, would be opened for the remaining period of the ceasefire. In a social media post, Abbas Araghchi linked the announcement to the declaration of a 10-day truce in Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which was announced by US President Donald Trump on Thursday and came into force earl
Apr 171 min read
Finland president says Iran holds upper hand through control of Strait of Hormuz
Finland President Alexander Stubb, left, attends a joint statement with France’s President Emmanuel Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 at the Elysee Palace in Paris (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla; Pool) RIYADH/WASHINGTON, April 14 - Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Iran currently holds the upper hand in its conflict with Israel and the United States because it controls the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a large share of the world's oil supplies passes. Speaking at an
Apr 141 min read
Iran to cap Strait of Hormuz traffic at 15 vessels a day, TASS reports
REUTERS PARIS, April 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels a day to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under its ceasefire agreement with the United States, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing a senior Iranian source. The move would leave tight restrictions in place on one of the world's most important shipping lanes after weeks of disruption linked to the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the main e
Apr 91 min read
Iran allows vessels carrying “essential goods” through Strait of Hormuz, state media says
PARIS, April 4 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Iran has granted permission for vessels carrying essential goods to transit the Strait of Hormuz toward Iranian ports, state-run Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. The report said the order covered vessels heading to Iranian ports or currently operating in the region, according to a document cited by Tasnim. The document, attributed to Houman Fathi, deputy for commercial development, said the measure applied in particular to
Apr 41 min read
French-owned container ship crosses Strait of Hormuz, data shows
The route taken by the ship CMA CGM Kribi through the Strait of Hormuz shown on the Marine Traffic website. Marine Traffic RIYADH, April 3, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - A French-owned container ship crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data, in one of the latest signs of limited commercial movement through the waterway since the war disrupted regional shipping. Reuters reported that the vessel was the Malta-flagged Kribi, operated by CMA CGM. The ship pa
Apr 31 min read
Macron says military operation to reopen Strait of Hormuz is unrealistic
RIYADH, April 2, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that reopening the Strait of Hormuz through military force was unrealistic, arguing that any effort to restore passage through the strategic waterway would have to involve coordination with Iran after a ceasefire. Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Macron said France had not chosen the military option and did not view it as viable. A forced operation to reopen the strai
Apr 21 min read
Philippines says Iran assures safe passage for ships and seafarers through Strait of Hormuz
RIYADH, April 2, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The Philippines said on Thursday it had received assurances from Iran’s foreign minister that Philippine ships, fuel imports and Filipino seafarers would be allowed to pass safely and without delay through the Strait of Hormuz. The assurance was given during a phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said. According to the department, Lazaro had asked Iran to d
Apr 21 min read
UN seeks support from Iran, US, Israel and others for initiative to get food and fertilizer through Strait of Hormuz
UNITED NATIONS, March 27, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been in contact with Iran’s foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador over a new task force aimed at ensuring food, fertilizer and humanitarian aid can move through the Strait of Hormuz without disruption, the United Nations said on Friday. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had also spoken with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Pakistan, as well as Bahrain’s
Mar 271 min read
Trump threatens strikes on Iran power plants if Hormuz Strait not reopened
WASHINGTON, March 22 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States would strike Iranian power plants if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post
Mar 221 min read
Strait of Hormuz disruption raises food supply risks across Gulf region
Riyadh, March 21 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is raising food supply risks across the Gulf region, threatening a waterway that serves as a critical route not only for global energy flows but also for imports relied on by more than 100 million people. Oil and liquefied natural gas tankers moving through the strait carry around 20% of the world’s supply, but for Gulf states the passage is also a key route for food shipments and other essenti
Mar 211 min read
Joint statement condemns Iran attacks on shipping and calls for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz
LONDON, March 21 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - A group of countries including the United Arab Emirates, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Romania and Bahrain condemned recent Iranian attacks on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf and called for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a joint statement issued on Saturday. The statement also condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and described Iranian action
Mar 212 min read
UK allows US to use its bases to attack Iranian sites targeting Strait of Hormuz
Riyadh, March 20, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Britain authorised the United States on Friday to use military bases in Britain for strikes on Iranian missile sites linked to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, after British ministers met to review the conflict with Iran and the disruption of shipping through the waterway. Downing Street confirmed that the UK-U.S. arrangement on collective self-defence in the region also covers American defensive action against th
Mar 201 min read
EU Ministers Support Strengthening Red Sea Mission but No Move to Expand to Strait of Hormuz
Kallas in Brussels, Belgium, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Omar Havana BRUSSELS, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – European Union foreign ministers expressed support on Monday for strengthening the bloc’s naval mission in the Middle East but showed no appetite for expanding its mandate to the Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. Kallas said ministers discussed reinforcing the EU’s Aspides naval mission during a meeting in Brussels. “There was in o
Mar 161 min read
Japan Not Planning to Send Ships to Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Says
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech during the graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy of Japan in Yokosuka, Japan, on Saturday. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images TOKYO, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Japan is not currently planning to dispatch naval vessels to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on allies to send ships to the region. “We have not ye
Mar 161 min read
UK says it is exploring options with allies to help reopen Strait of Hormuz
UK energy secretary Ed Miliband arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London on February 3, 2026. Lucy North/AP Riyadh, March 15, 2026 (SABN) - British energy secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday that the United Kingdom was exploring “any options” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the vital shipping route. “It’s a priority for the world that the strait is reopened. Obviously the best and simplest way to do that is to de-escalate the conflict,” Miliband
Mar 151 min read
Iran Allows Two Indian LPG Tankers to Transit Strait of Hormuz
Riyadh, March 13 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The transit of the vessels could help ease India’s cooking gas supply pressures, the sources said. Separately, a crude oil tanker carrying Saudi Arabian oil is expected to arrive in India on Saturday after sailing through the strait around March 1, accordi
Mar 131 min read
Three More Vessels Hit by Projectiles in Strait of Hormuz
The Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree engulfed in black smoke in the Strait of Hormuz, March 11, 2026. ROYAL THAI NAVY/Handout via REUTERS Riyadh, March 11, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Three additional commercial vessels were struck by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security and risk firms said, bringing the total number of ships hit in the region since the conflict began to at least 14. The incidents underline the growing risks for
Mar 112 min read
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