Russia shares China’s position on Hormuz, calls for permanent ceasefire to reopen Strait
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Sunday that Tehran will no longer allow “enemy” military equipment to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We had given up our right of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and we previously allowed the passage of military equipment that was intended to be used against us through the Strait of Hormuz. We will not permit that again,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.
Russia shares China’s position on Strait of Hormuz, envoy says
Mikhail Ulyanov, the permanent representative of Russia to international organisations in Vienna, has backed China’s call for a permanent ceasefire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.
“Russia fully shares such an approach,” Ulyanov said in a post on X, referencing Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s comments.
Wang had said China believes a solution to issues in the Strait of Hormuz “lies in achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” between Washington and Tehran, and that President Xi Jinping had emphasised in his talks with Trump last week “that force cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only right path”.
The comments came as Bahrain and the US seek support for a resolution at the United Nations demanding Iran stop attacks and laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
USS Gerald Ford returns home after 326-day deployment
The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, dispatched to the Middle East ahead of the outbreak of war with Iran, returned to the United States on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, AFP quoted the Pentagon as saying.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was present in Norfolk, Virginia, to welcome the aircraft carrier home, the US military said on X.
It was the longest deployment for a US carrier strike group since the Vietnam War.
The Ford’s deployment saw it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington’s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
It was then dispatched to the Middle East to participate in combat operations against Iran.
