EconoTicker

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed, despite statements from Iranian officials suggesting otherwise.

The update comes as Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut the waterway and target transiting ships since the conflict began—raising alarm because Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said ships in the region have reported VHF broadcasts claiming Hormuz is “closed,” but those claims could not be independently verified at the time of its advisory—underscoring the fog-of-war risk for commercial shipping even without a formal closure.

Source: Reuters; Fox News; UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The UAE Ministry of Defence said Iran has launched 174 ballistic missiles toward the UAE so far, with 161 intercepted and destroyed and 13 falling into the sea.

The ministry also reported 689 drones detected, with 645 intercepted and 44 landing inside UAE territory. It added that 8 cruise missiles were detected and destroyed, with some collateral damage reported.

Source: UAE Ministry of Defence (via WAM); Qatar News Agency (QNA).

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he doesn’t believe the United States underestimated Iran’s firepower, in comments to Germany’s ARD TV.

He added there are “absolutely no plans” for NATO as an alliance to become involved in the conflict, while arguing U.S.-Israeli strikes are important for degrading Iran’s nuclear and ballistic-missile capabilities.

Source: Reuters (ARD TV interview)

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv is ready to deploy drone specialists to the Middle East to help shoot down Iranian drones, but tied the offer to a key condition: partners would need to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine’s war with Russia and guarantee an end to Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory.

Sybiha said Ukraine’s interception effectiveness against Iranian-designed Shahed drones has reached up to 90%, helped in part by domestically produced interceptor drones, adding that Ukraine couldn’t send all operators—but could send some if the ceasefire condition is met.

Source: Reuters.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident 50 nautical miles north of Muscat, Oman, where a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile above the waterline. UKMTO noted the engine-room fire is now under control, authorities are investigating, and vessels should transit with caution and report suspicious activity.

A separate Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) advisory has also lifted the regional maritime risk level to “CRITICAL,” citing multiple confirmed missile/drone incidents across the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches.

Meanwhile, Iranian state-linked reporting cited an IRGC public-relations statement saying the first wave of missile and drone attacks has begun, highlighting the broader escalation backdrop as maritime security tightens.

Source: UKMTO; Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC); Bernama-IRNA

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the Iran crisis and regional stability, with both sides stressing the need to reduce tensions. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ministers backed an immediate cessation of hostilities and called for urgent measures to prevent attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Iran and neighboring countries.

Source: Reuters

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament that British forces have successfully intercepted Iranian attacks, including a drone heading toward a coalition base in Iraq housing UK personnel.

Starmer said the UK has accepted a new U.S. request to use British bases for a specific, limited defensive purpose—to help stop Iran’s missile and drone threat by targeting systems “at source” (storage depots or launchers). He stressed the UK is not joining the U.S. and Israeli offensive strikes, framing the decision as collective self-defence and protection of British lives.

He added that France and Germany are also prepared to support U.S. action aimed at preventing further Iranian missile and drone launches.

Starmer argued Iran has backed more than 20 potentially lethal plots on UK soil over the past year, and said Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, ultimately requiring a solution at the negotiating table.

Source: UK Parliament (Hansard); GOV.UK (Prime Minister’s Oral Statement); Reuters

Italy says it has received requests for logistical support and material supplies from Gulf countries drawn into the escalating tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, according to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking to a parliamentary hearing in Rome.

Tajani added that Italian forces deployed in Lebanon, Jordan, and elsewhere in the region are safe, and said further steps—if needed—would follow the usual parliamentary process.

Source: RAI News; Italian Senate (hearing notice); Agenzia Dire

U.S. President Donald Trump told CNN anchor Jake Tapper in a roughly nine-minute phone call that the heaviest phase of strikes is still ahead, saying: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.” The remarks signal a potential near-term escalation in the ongoing U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, even as the administration publicly insists the operation won’t become an open-ended war.

Source: CNN (reported by Jake Tapper); Axios; The Guardian

Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the fighting will end only after Israel damages Iran and delivers “a very severe blow” to Hezbollah, linking the outcome of the campaign in Lebanon to pressure on Tehran. He also reiterated Israel’s demand that Hezbollah be disarmed, and said operations would not end until the threat from Lebanon is removed.

Source: The Times of Israel

A drone strike hit the runway at Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, causing limited damage and no casualties, according to Cypriot and British officials. Senior Cypriot officials told Reuters the drone was an Iranian-made Shahed and said indications suggest it was most likely launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon, though they stressed the base—not Cyprus—was the target.

Cyprus later reported two more drones heading toward Akrotiri were detected and intercepted, as authorities raised alert levels and evacuations were reported in the surrounding area.

Source: Reuters

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that despite an increasingly unstable Middle East, one point is clear: “renewed hope has emerged for the long-suffering people of Iran.” In a post on X, she wrote that the EU strongly supports Iranians’ right to determine their own future, while stressing the need to reduce tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading.

She also called on Iran to stop what she described as “reckless and indiscriminate” attacks against neighbors and sovereign states, arguing that regional stability is of the highest importance and that the only durable path forward is a diplomatic solution. Von der Leyen added that this implies a credible transition for Iran, including halting nuclear and ballistic programs and ending destabilizing actions in the region.

She noted that the overall situation would be reviewed at a UN Security Council session, warning Europe must be prepared for spillovers—from energy and nuclear risks to migration and security.

Source: Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), post on X