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The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) is set to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors who have been stranded in the Gulf because of the US-Israel war against Iran.<\/b><\/p>\n
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the “large-scale operation” would be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry. <\/p>\n
“We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” he added.<\/p>\n
An interim deal was signed last week to end the conflict, but both the US and Iran continue to clash on details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).<\/p>\n
The US has said the MoU includes guarantees that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme will come under inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday: “Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!). This will insure ‘Nuclear Honesty.'”<\/p>\n
Shortly before Trump’s post, Iran said the UN watchdog would not be able to inspect nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year.<\/p>\n
In response, a US official said: “the Iranians have agreed to robust IAEA inspections of the remains of their nuclear weapons programme. The Iranian regime will say what they have to say for their domestic audience.” <\/p>\n
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a visit to Pakistan on Tuesday that Iran “will never negotiate with anyone, under any circumstances, ever, about our defensive capabilities”.<\/p>\n
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at a news conference with Pezeshkian that ballistic missiles were not discussed between the US and Iran and were “not on the table at all”. <\/p>\n
He added there was no mention of ballistic missiles in the MoU and said he wanted to make the matter “clear without any ambiguity”. <\/p>\n
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a tour of the Gulf on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and will also visit Kuwait and Bahrain – which both host US military bases – to discuss the deal with Tehran.<\/p>\n
The secretary of state warned on Tuesday that no country is allowed to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been pushing to charge ships passing through.<\/p>\n
“It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law,” he said as he arrived in the UAE. <\/p>\n
“I don’t think we have anybody to convince around here in that regard. I think all the countries in this region would agree with us.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n