Main developments
Donald Trump has called on China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send naval ships to force open the Strait of Hormuz.
A fire broke out at the strategically important port of Fujairah on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates after an attack was “successfully intercepted”, authorities said. The port is a vital energy hub for fuelling vessels outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman.
The attack came after US forces struck military targets on Iran’s oil-export hub, Kharg Island. Donald Trump said the US had “obliterated every MILITARY target” on the island and warned that he would attack its energy assets if Tehran impeded more oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s central military command responded to Trump’s comments by warning it could attack energy infrastructure in the region that has American ownership or co-operates with the US.
A projectile hit the US embassy compound in Baghdad. Footage showed smoke rising in the city’s fortified Green Zone.
Trump adviser David Sacks called for the US to “declare victory and get out” of Iran, the first public sign of discontent over the war from a senior administration figure.
Israel issued an evacuation warning for an industrial area in the city of Tabriz in north-western Iran, suggesting an attack was imminent.
Brent crude ended the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since August 2022. The rise weighed on Wall Street stocks, with the S&P 500 closing lower for the third consecutive week.
F1 scraps races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia amid Iran war
Formula 1 said that had cancelled its races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April because of the war in Iran.
“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said.
F1 “cannot wait” to return to the two countries when circumstances allow, he added. The FT previously reported that the F1 was considering scrapping the events next month, as Tehran targets Gulf countries with strikes in response to the US-Israel war on Iran.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, which governs the sport, stressed the importance of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to the race calendar.
“We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events,” he said.
Iran’s foreign minister says US security umbrella in Gulf ‘full of holes’
Iran’s foreign minister said the US’s long-promoted “security umbrella” in the region had failed to deter instability, forcing it to seek help from China and other countries to secure shipments out of the Gulf.
“US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X. The security umbrella was “full of holes”, he wrote.
He called on neighbouring countries to expel “foreign aggressors” from the region, saying outside powers were primarily motivated by concern for Israel rather than regional stability.
The commander of Revolutionary Guards’ naval forces, Alireza Tangsiri, also said the US’s claim to have destroyed Iran’s navy was false.
“Then they lied, saying they would escort tankers, and now they are asking others for help,” he said. “Needless to say, the Strait of Hormuz has not been militarily blocked; it has merely been placed under control.”