Vessel Struck in Strait of Hormuz as U.S.-Iran Talks Stall — SkimNews
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- A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile Saturday night while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sparking an onboard fire that required crew evacuation, per UKMTO.
- Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran's parliament national security committee, declared "no negotiations. Until Iran's terms are met, talks are futile," dismissing any fresh U.S.-Iran talks.
- Iran and Gulf countries were set to meet in Muscat Monday to sign an agreement establishing an Iran-Oman shipping route through the Strait, with no U.S. negotiations underway, per an Iranian official.
- CENTCOM said it destroyed 10 Iranian tankers the preceding week and has redirected 100 commercial vessels over 60 days since resuming a naval blockade against Iran.
- Trump predicted the Iran war would end "right after the midterms" and that energy prices would "come tumbling down" when that happens.
- Saudi Arabia shut down its East-West crude oil pipeline as a precaution after drone attacks from Iraq targeted the Riyadh and Medina regions Thursday, causing fires and injuries.
- Brent crude settled at $104.61/barrel (down 2.8% Friday) after peaking at roughly $108; WTI settled at $100.05 — both notched sharp weekly gains after soaring above $100 for the first time in months.
Why it matters: The conflict's kinetic and diplomatic tracks are diverging — Iran is rejecting U.S. talks while pursuing a parallel Iran-Oman shipping route through Muscat, and Saudi Arabia's pipeline bypass is now offline after Iraqi drone strikes. Trump's claim that the war ends "right after midterms" reframes the conflict as a domestic political timeline, not just a military one. Brent spiked past $108 intraday before settling at $104.61.
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