Iran sets new conditions for Strait of Hormuz reopening, UAE says ship targeted

Iran has set new conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates said a vessel owned by its state-run oil company was targeted by an Iranian missile as tensions continued to rise across the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Yemen's military carried out attacks against the country's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, while Turkey's parliament took a step forward on legislation aimed at supporting a peace process with Kurdish militants.

Here are the latest developments across the Middle East:

Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened until the United States "corrects its behavior," setting out demands that could complicate ongoing talks over the strategic waterway.

The council's secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the US must never again threaten Iran and must permanently end its war with Iran and its regional allies.

Iran also demanded that Washington lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw its military forces from the region, provide "complete compensation" for war-related damage, remove sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets "unconditionally."

The US did not immediately comment on the demands.

Under an interim agreement reached in June, discussions on lifting sanctions, compensation and frozen assets were to be part of a final deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier Saturday (8 August) that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman on navigation through the strait. However, he said reopening the waterway would depend on meeting other conditions and accused the US of violating the interim agreement.
Oman, which has been mediating the talks, said discussions were continuing in a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and condemned attacks on vessels in the strait.

Details emerge on possible Iran-Oman deal

The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and natural gas supplies, was considered an international waterway before the war.

A temporary agreement being negotiated by Iran and Oman would allow the strait to reopen, with vessels entering through a route close to Iran and leaving through a route near Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks.
Under the proposed arrangement, ships would not have to pay fees or tolls while crossing the waterway during the interim period.

The agreement is intended to restore an earlier separate understanding between the US and Iran and restart a 60-day period for negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
During that period, Iran is expected to be allowed to sell oil. The current 60-day deadline for reaching a final agreement is due to expire in just over a week.
The two people said the proposed deal has the backing of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and could eventually be announced jointly by Iran, Oman, the US and the International Maritime Organization. However, they cautioned that the terms could still change before the agreement is finalized.

UAE says Iranian missile targeted vessel
A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi's state-run oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati authorities said.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said Iran fired a missile at the vessel as part of attacks on commercial shipping.

ADNOC said no one was injured in the attack early Saturday. The company said more than a dozen of its vessels have been targeted by missiles and drones while crossing the strait since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in February.

According to ADNOC, one crew member has been killed and 20 others injured in the attacks.

The company did not provide details about the location of Saturday's incident or report the extent of any damage.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre later said a vessel east of Khasab, Oman, was hit by a projectile, causing a fire that was later extinguished. The vessel and its crew were reported safe. It was not immediately clear whether the incident involved the ADNOC vessel.

Turkey says defense deal not aimed at any country

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a new defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey is not directed against any particular country.

The agreement, signed Friday, states that an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.

Speaking to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency on Saturday, Fidan said the three countries do not consider any state an adversary unless it takes hostile action against them.
He said the agreement does not identify any common threat.

Under the mutual defense arrangement, a member country would formally request assistance, which could include intelligence-sharing, logistical support or the deployment of military units, Fidan said.

He added that a secretariat for the mechanism would be established in Saudi Arabia.

Fidan said several other countries have shown interest in joining the agreement. He also said he expects Egypt, which he described as a "natural partner," to join at a later stage.

Yemen's military attacks Iran-backed Houthis

Yemen's military carried out attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in response to recent Houthi strikes in central and eastern parts of the country.
Col. Majed al-Nazili, a spokesperson for Yemen's military, said the attacks targeted Houthi "sites and capabilities" along several front lines but did not provide further details.

The renewed escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has raised concerns that the country's civil war could resume following a truce reached in 2022.

Turkey's Kurdish peace bill clears parliamentary committee

A Turkish draft law aimed at advancing a peace process with the country's Kurdish insurgents passed an initial hurdle in parliament on Saturday after being approved by a committee.

The bill is expected to be considered by the full parliament next week.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, announced last year that it would disarm and disband as part of a peace initiative aimed at ending its decades-long conflict with the Turkish state.

The proposed legislation sets out procedures for the group's disarmament and the rehabilitation of some PKK members.

The measures would take effect after Turkey's National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered its weapons.

The conflict, which began in the 1980s, has killed tens of thousands of people. Turkey and its Western allies designate the PKK as a terrorist organization.