U.S. halts strikes on Iran for second night as talks move in positive direction
Talks between Oman and Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and their respective territorial waterways have made progress, two sources told CBS News.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard's navy stopped six vessels trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz through routes not approved by Iranian authorities, state television reported on Monday.
"Last night, six vessels that attempted to transit through a route other than the designated one were stopped by the IRGC Navy with warning shots and turned back," a state television correspondent reported from the Gulf.
Earlier, state TV had said one was involved in an "incident," without elaborating.
On Saturday, the Guards said they'd stopped four vessels that were trying to transit through the southern part of the strait after firing warning shots.
Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Middle East war in late February.
Oil prices eased in early trading Sunday, falling further from a two-month high set last week, after the United States and Iran refrained from launching military strikes in the Persian Gulf for a second straight day.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in September dropped 4.9% to $92.02 shortly after trading resumed. The decline followed a 3.9% drop on Friday.
Brent crude, the international standard, briefly hit $102 a barrel last week. That was $30 more than the most actively traded contract in the Brent market was going for early in the month, and the highest it had been since May.
Oil prices surged this month because of increased fighting in the Middle East and worries that a return to all-out war would further slow the global flow of crude.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held a phone call Sunday with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi and national security adviser of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss "bilateral relations and ways to support and enhance bilateral cooperation," said Qatar's Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement.
"They also addressed the latest regional developments, particularly diplomatic efforts and joint coordination to de-escalate tensions and strengthen security and stability in the region," the statement continued, adding that Al-Thani "stressed the importance of all parties adhering to dialogue and diplomacy" and "ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday warned that his country would respond to a deadly attack by Ukraine on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea.
It came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had carried out long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea against vessels transporting military cargo i
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