Agencies | Jerusalem:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he and US President Donald Trump are committed to completing the “elimination of the Iranian regime”, adding that the two leaders recently discussed the issue.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region, with maritime security concerns mounting after two tankers reportedly caught fire following encounters with sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the vessels were ablaze after hitting sea mines. However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the claim as “incorrect”, reflecting conflicting accounts of the incidents in the strategically important waterway.
Meanwhile, Qatar has said diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran are continuing despite rising tensions and concerns over a possible resumption of hostilities.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, said negotiations between Iran and the United States remained ongoing, even as regional developments heightened fears of further escalation.
The developments underscore the competing military and diplomatic pressures surrounding the conflict, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a critical route for global energy supplies and the future of US-Iran negotiations uncertain.
