Spain won't be participating in military operations in Strait of Hormuz: Defence minister
Spain will not take part in any military mission in the Strait of Hormuz because it considers the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran to be illegal, Madrid's defence and foreign affairs ministers said on Monday.
The leftist coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has criticised the offensive and banned participating U.S. aircraft from using jointly operated bases in southern Spain. Defence Minister Margarita Robles rejected a demand by U.S. President Donald Trump for military support to secure the waterway, which Tehran has de facto blocked to oil tanker traffic, and his threats of a "very bad future" for NATO allies failing to do so.
"Spain will never accept any stopgap measures, because the objective must be for the war to end, and for it to end now," Robles said.
The situation in the strait is a matter of grave concern for Europeans, but the European Union's position should be that the war must end regardless of economic considerations, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.
"We mustn't do anything that would add even more tension or cause the situation to escalate further," he told reporters in Brussels.
Some EU members such as Germany, Italy or Greece, have also signalled they will not join military operations in the strait, while others, including Denmark, have yet to make a decision.
'Want the world to be well supplied': US 'fine' with Indian, Chinese transit in Hormuz, Bessent says
The United States is "fine" with some Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships going through the Strait of Hormuz for now, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday, adding that any action to mitigate higher prices would depend on how long the Iran war lasts.
"We are seeing more and more of the fuel ships start to go through. The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we've let that happen to supply the rest of the world. We've seen Indian ships go out now ... we believe some Chinese ships have gone out," he told CNBC in an interview.
"That should start ramping up before there are any of the flotillas or protective armadas in the Gulf. So we think that there will be a natural opening that the Iranians are letting out. And for now, we're fine with that. We want the world to be well supplied," Bessent said.
Asked if there were any tools the Trump administration would use to mitigate higher prices and impacts from the war outside of oil reserve releases, Bessent told CNBC "it will depend on the duration of the conflict."
Hamas holds talks with Trump's 'Board of Peace', Israel reopens key Gaza border crossing
Envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" have met representatives of Hamas in Cairo in an effort to safeguard the Gaza ceasefire, under serious strain since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, three sources told Reuters.
The weekend meeting is the first publicly reported since the start of the Iran war between the Palestinian militant group and the board, a new international body personally headed by Trump, which has been tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza.
Following the meeting, Israel announced on Sunday that it would soon reopen the sole crossing for pedestrians between Gaza and Egypt, shut since the Iran bombing campaign began. One of the sources said he believed the Israeli announcement was a direct result of the meeting between Hamas and the board.
Prior to the war in Iran, Trump's plan for Gaza was his flagship initiative for the Middle East.
The sources said the Hamas representatives warned the board that the Palestinian militant group could back away from its previous promises under the Gaza ceasefire if Israel maintains new restrictions on Gaza imposed during the Iran war.
Israel shut Gaza's borders after the war's launch on February 28, saying crossings could not be operated safely. It later resumed the limited flow of goods and aid but kept shut the sole crossing for pedestrians into Egypt, at Rafah on Gaza's southern edge. On Sunday it announced it would reopen the crossing later this week following a "security assessment".
Reuters has previously reported that talks on the disarmament of Hamas - meant to be a focus of the next phase of Trump's plan - have been on hold since the start of the Iran war.
One of the sources said Trump's board was represented at the talks with Hamas by Aryeh Lightstone, an American aide to Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The other two sources said meetings that included Lightstone were on the agenda although they were unable to confirm whether Lightstone had attended yet.
Further meetings were expected this week. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
A U.S. official said that Lightstone had attended Gaza-related meetings in Cairo in the past several days, without confirming whether he met with the Hamas delegation. U.S. negotiators were continuing to meet with regional partners to fulfil Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, the U.S. official added.
Israel's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether its decision to reopen the Rafah crossing was a result of the Cairo meeting. Hamas declined to comment.
'This is not our war': German defence minister rejects Trump's demand for military support against Iran
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Monday rejected demands by U.S. President Donald Trump for military support in the war against Iran and downplayed threats that such a stance by allies would hurt NATO.
"What does (...) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. navy cannot do?" he said in Berlin.
"This is not our war, we have not started it."
Asked about Trump's warning that NATO faces a "very bad" future if its members fail to come to Washington's aid, Pistorius said he did not anticipate NATO falling apart over these differences.
Greece will not engage in military operations at Hormuz Strait, says government official
Greece will not engage in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said on Monday.
Greece would only participated in the EU's naval mission "Aspides" charged with protecting ships in the Red Sea, Marinakis told a press conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration was talking to seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling on them to help protect ships in the vital waterway that Tehran has mostly blocked to oil tanker traffic.
Oil loading resumes at UAE's Fujairah port after an attack, sources say
Oil loading operations have resumed at the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah, two sources told Reuters on Monday, after it was halted earlier following a drone attack that triggered a fire in the emirate's petroleum industrial zone.
Fujairah, located on the Gulf of Oman just outside the Strait of Hormuz, is typically a critical exit point for about 1 million barrels per day of the UAE's Murban crude - a volume equivalent to roughly 1% of global demand.
Civil defense teams were working to control the blaze, the Fujairah government media office said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported.
The suspension of loading operations marks the second major disruption at the vital bunkering hub in recent days. Operations at Fujairah had resumed on Sunday following a separate drone strike over the weekend.
The attacks come as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran strangles shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that normally handles a fifth of the world's oil supply.
Fire breaks out in a building in UAE's Umm Al Quwain after attack by drone, no injuries
Fire breaks out in a building in UAE's Umm Al Quwain after attack by drone, no injuries: Emirate's Media Office.
Britain working with allies on plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz, Starmer says
Britain is working with allies on a collective plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation in the Middle East but it will not be easy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
"Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the (oil) market. That is not a simple task," Starmer told reporters.
"So we're working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impact."
Communications ongoing to ensure Strait of Hormuz is fully opened, Qatari official says
Communications are ongoing with different parties to guarantee the Strait of Hormuz is fully opened for goods to reach the Gulf and to export energy products from the region, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
India says it has not had talks with US on deployment of warships in Strait of Hormuz
India has not had any conversation with the U.S. about helping ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz - a key artery of the global crude oil trade - a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry said on Monday.
Iran's Araqchi says no messages have been exchanged with the US
Iran has not requested a ceasefire, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday according to the semi-official Students News Network, and wants to ensure that any end to the war with Israel and the U.S. is definitive.
Araqchi said that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to "enemies and those supporting their aggression".
A foreign ministry spokesperson added that states not party to the war have been able to transit their vessels through the strait with coordination and permission from Iran's armed forces.
Too early to quantify impact of Iran conflict on global growth, OECD says
It is too early to quantify impact of the Middle East conflict on global growth, but there is a significant level of downside risk for the global economy right now, the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Monday.
"Of course to a large extent it will depend on a lot of factors that we don't have ... the length of the conflict and continued developments but suffice to say there is significant level of downside risk in the global economy right now," Mathias Cormann said during a conference in Bucharest on Monday.
The OECD's current global growth estimate for 2026 is just under 3%.
Key UAE port of Fujairah hit again on Monday, damage being evaluated, Bloomberg reports
UAE largest port Fujairah being hit and damage being assessed: Bloomberg News.
UAE Fujairah port attacked again: sources tell Reuters.
One killed after missile strikes civilian car in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi authorities have responded to incident involving missile falling on a civilian vehicle in Al Bahyah area, one killed in the incident: Media Office.
"Abu Dhabi authorities have responded to an incident involving a missile falling on a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area, resulting in one casualty of Palestinian nationality.
The public is advised to obtain information only from official sources and to avoid spreading rumours or unverified information," Abu Dhabi Media wrote on X.
Israel says troops launch 'limited' operations against Hezbollah in south Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Monday that its troops had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon in recent days to bolster forward defences.
Dubai International Airport gradually resumes some flights after a drone struck a nearby fuel tank early Monday, causing a fire
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority says some flights to and from Dubai airport are gradually resuming after precautionary suspension: Dubai Media Office.
"Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights," Dubai Media Office wrote on X.
Emirates airline says limited operations have resumed at the airport.
Dubai diverts flights from international airport after drone incident
A fire caused by a drone attack on Monday near Dubai International Airport had been contained with no injuries reported, but flights were temporarily suspended, Dubai authorities said.
"A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) affected one of the fuel tanks", the Dubai media office said on X.
Emirates airline also announced in a post on X the temporary suspension of flights to and from Dubai.
Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, with targets including U.S. diplomatic missions and military bases but also critical Gulf oil infrastructure, ports, airports, hotels and residential and office buildings.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalised relations with Iran's arch-foe Israel in 2020, has faced the brunt of the attacks. But all Gulf Arab states have been affected, and all have condemned Iran.
Trump eyes 'Hormuz coalition', seizure of Iran's Kharg Island oil hub: Report
U.S. President Donald Trump is working to assemble a coalition of countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is hoping to announce it later this week, Axios reported on Sunday citing four sources.
Trump accuses Iran of using AI to spread disinformation
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Iran of using artificial intelligence as a “disinformation weapon” to misrepresent its wartime successes and support.
“AI can be very dangerous, we have to be very careful with it,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One shortly after he made a post on his Truth Social platform where he accused Western media outlets without evidence of “close coordination” with Iran to spread AI-generated “fake news.” The comments come amid renewed tensions between the Federal Communications Commission and broadcasters after Trump took aim at media coverage of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Saturday threatened to pull licenses of broadcasters who did not “correct course” on their coverage.
Trump has frequently accused news media outlets of lying when they run stories that he sees as critical of him, and he has previously called for removing the licenses of broadcast outlets he views as unfair.
Between the social media post and his comments to journalists, Trump on Sunday cited three instances where he claimed Iran used AI to mislead the public.
On Truth Social, he said that Iran had shown “kamikaze boats” that do not exist. He further stated that Iran used AI to falsely depict a successful attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, adding publications that propagated the news should be charged with treason. Reuters has verified images filmed from the Iraqi port of Basra, which showed explosive-laden Iranian boats appearing to attack two fuel tankers, killing at least one crew member. Iranian state media did claim that Iran’s military struck the USS Abraham Lincoln, though the claim was not widely picked up by Western outlets.
Trump also claimed that images showing "250,000" Iranians at a rally to support new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei were "totally AI generated" and that the event "never took place." Several pro-government demonstrations have occurred in Iran since the war began, but a brief search by Reuters did not find any Western reports that cite a figure of 250,000. Many media organizations, including Reuters, have run news photos showing crowds in Tehran after Khamenei was named leader.
Trump did not clarify the specific news reports from Iran he was referencing.
Emergency stocks of oil will soon start flowing to global markets: IEA
The International Energy Agency on Sunday said its member countries in Asia and Oceania plan to release emergency stocks of oil "immediately" and that reserves from Europe and the Americas "will be made available starting from the end of March".
"This emergency collective action, by far the largest ever, provides a significant and welcome buffer," it said in a statement.
The Paris-based agency is helping to coordinate the international effort to lower prices.
The IEA announced Wednesday that it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from members' emergency reserves - more than double the 182.7 million barrels that the IEA's 32 countries released in 2022 in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The IEA's update on Sunday said its members have so far committed to making available a total of nearly 412 million barrels from government, industry and other stocks - of which 72% will be crude oil and the rest as oil products.
