“The facility is in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when last visited by the IAEA,” the UN agency said in a statement.
The reported attack is not believed to pose any radiological risk, the IAEA said, but Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated a call for “military restraint in the vicinity of all nuclear-related sites”.
Brussels, Jul. 18 (BNA): On the occasion of the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation, held in Brussels on 13 July, co-chaired by High Representative Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union, and Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in his capacity as President of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the High Representative and the Presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council issued the following joint statement:
1. The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council reaffirm that freedom of navigation, including the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strait used for international navigation, are guaranteed under international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. These rights belong to the ships of all States and cannot be suspended, impeded, or made conditional by any State.
2. We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks carried out by Iran against commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and against the sovereign territory of States of the region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan. These attacks endangered civilian lives and mariners, violated international law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, and are wholly unjustifiable.
3. We reject as unlawful any assertion of sovereignty or control over the Strait of Hormuz by any State, and we oppose any regime of permits, transit tolls, or service fees imposed upon international shipping. No bilateral arrangement, understanding, or memorandum between States can unlawfully govern or restrict the right of passage through an international strait, which is guaranteed to all States under international law and cannot be subordinated to the control or permission of any State.
4. We express our full solidarity with the States affected by these attacks and with the seafarers of all nationalities placed in danger. An attack on the security of one is a concern for all who depend on the safety of this vital waterway.
5. We call upon Iran to cease immediately and unconditionally all attacks and all interference with maritime navigation; to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, sustainably and without condition, toll, or fee; and to comply fully with international law and with Security Council Resolution 2817. We reject the imposition of any unilateral or unlawful mechanism or arrangement affecting safe passage through the Strait. States must work within and support international and regional institutions responsible for maritime governance, safety, and security, particularly the International Maritime Organisation.
6. The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council will continue to coordinate closely to uphold freedom of navigation, to support the protection of international shipping and seafarers, and to advance a just and durable peace and security in the region, consistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
7. We continue to call for restraint and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as means to resolve the crisis and to uphold freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
13.07.2026 Brussels, 13 July 2026
EEAS Press Team
On the occasion of the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation, held in Brussels on 13 July 2026, co-chaired by High Representative Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union, and HE Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in his capacity as President of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the High Representative and Presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council issued the following joint statement:
1. The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council reaffirm that freedom of navigation, including the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strait used for international navigation, are guaranteed under international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. These rights belong to the ships of all States and cannot be suspended, impeded, or made conditional by any State.
2. We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks carried out by Iran against commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and against the sovereign territory of States of the region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan. These attacks endangered civilian lives and mariners, violated international law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, and are wholly unjustifiable.
3. We reject as unlawful any assertion of sovereignty or control over the Strait of Hormuz by any State, and we oppose any regime of permits, transit tolls, or service fees imposed upon international shipping. No bilateral arrangement, understanding, or memorandum between States can unlawfully govern or restrict the right of passage through an international strait, which is guaranteed to all States under international law and cannot be subordinated to the control or permission of any State.
4. We express our full solidarity with the States affected by these attacks and with the seafarers of all nationalities placed in danger. An attack on the security of one is a concern for all who depend on the safety of this vital waterway.
5. We call upon Iran to cease immediately and unconditionally all attacks and all interference with maritime navigation; to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, sustainably and without condition, toll, or fee; and to comply fully with international law and with Security Council Resolution 2817. We reject the imposition of any unilateral or unlawful mechanism or arrangement affecting safe passage through the Strait. States must work within and support international and regional institutions responsible for maritime governance, safety, and security, particularly the International Maritime Organisation.
6. The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council will continue to coordinate closely to uphold freedom of navigation, to support the protection of international shipping and seafarers, and to advance a just and durable peace and security in the region, consistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
7. We continue to call for restraint and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as means to resolve the crisis and to uphold freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
CAIRO – 19 July 2026: The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Saturday called on Iran to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping without imposing any conditions or transit fees.
In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and the GCC presidency strongly condemned Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the vital strait.
His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), condemned in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian attacks that targeted the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, alongside the targeting of infrastructure and civilian facilities, which resulted in the injury of a number of civilian workers in the State of Kuwait.
„Iran‘s actions constitute a highly dangerous escalation, a grave violation of international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter, as well as war crimes requiring international accountability and prosecution, given the deliberate targeting of infrastructure and civilian facilities in flagrant violation of all international norms and conventions, and a persistent determination to destabilise regional security and stability,“ His Excellency underlined.
Moreover, His Excellency stressed that the GCC stands as one with the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, supporting all measures they take to protect their security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, while expressing his wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured individuals in the State of Kuwait.
(July 13, 2026)
“It’s beyond shameful that a majority of EU member states, led by Germany and Italy, continue to block the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Countries committed to uphold international law must not remain silent while others actively undermine the very principles they claim to defend.
(…)
“In the pages of history, there will be a clear distinction between those who failed to act in the face of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and those who stood up for humanity.”
(On 15 July 2026, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan addressed the United Nations Security Council on the Situation in Darfur, Sudan, virtually from The Hague. Below is a transcript of her remarks.)
Mr President, thank you for the opportunity to brief the Security Council today.
Please allow me to also express my thanks to his Excellency the Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations for his attendance. Mr. President, Excellencies, last week I was in Eastern Chad, hearing directly from just a small fraction of the Darfuris affected by the harrowing cycles of suffering that continue to be inflicted upon them.
In refugee camps in Goz Beida and in Farchana, I sat with Darfuri women, men and children to hear their experiences, and to address how the process of justice can help stem the ongoing violations suffered by their communities. Those I met with included displaced Darfuris from the camps of Adre, Arkoum, Aboutengue, Metche, Alacha, Kerfi, Goz Amir, and Zabout, who travelled, despite their own difficult circumstances, to meet with me and my team.
These conversations were deeply impactful, and I must admit, difficult. The victims I spoke with continue to bear the consequences of being driven from their homes. Living in conditions of acute hardship, they struggle each day to provide food, water and education for their children, while longing to return in safety and dignity to their homeland.
There is real despair in those camps. A clearly and repeatedly-stated belief that they have been forgotten by much of the world. That their lives are not given equal value, that the depth of their suffering has not been met with a meaningful response.
And the specific, individual experiences of pain they shared with us reflected the collective agony of the people of Darfur, including:
– Those who saw their parents die, who saw their mothers raped in front of their very eyes;
– People who were sacrificed as if they were livestock;
– Men huddled into prisons and burnt or buried alive;
– Women who spoke of being raped repeatedly and;
– Children directly attacked, raped, and traumatized by what they have seen.
(………………)
I call on all States in this Council, all members of the United Nations, and all partners for accountability, to heed the voices of the victims that I have shared with you today, and to join us at this crucial moment for the people of Darfur.
(July 14, 2026)
“If other states bow to this pressure, they will acquiesce to a new era of lawlessness, impunity and rampant injustice. Now is not the time to appease. Now is the time to resist.”
“Appeasement will only further embolden perpetrators and open the door to more armed conflicts and more crimes committed by powerful leaders against their own or other states’ populations. Amnesty International calls on all states to firmly resist – both collectively and unilaterally – the Trump administration’s campaign against the ICC and all international institutions that protect human rights. They must also reiterate their support for the Court and enact practical and legislative measures, including so-called ‘blocking statutes’, to mitigate the effect of US sanctions on those impacted.
“State inaction and cowardice in the face of past sanctions and attacks is what emboldened the US to announce this strategy. For the good of humanity, victims’ hopes of justice, and the prospect of lasting global security, the international community must come together, stand up to the bullies in the White House and State Department and protect the international rule of law. We must not accept a reality where the most powerful have the least legal responsibility.”
Die japanische Richterin Tomoko Akane steht seit März 2024 an der Spitze des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs. Ihre Amtszeit als Präsidentin läuft bis 2027. Premierministerin Sanae Takaichi traf Akane im Januar 2026 und vereinbarte mit ihr eine Zusammenarbeit zur Stärkung des Völkerrechts. Außenminister Toshimitsu Motegi empfing die Gerichtspräsidentin am 31. März und sagte ihr erneut die Unterstützung Japans zu. Beide vereinbarten eine enge Zusammenarbeit, um die Unabhängigkeit und Sicherheit des Gerichts zu schützen.
(July 14, 2026)
The ICC was established by a 2002 treaty to investigate and prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity when a member of the treaty is unable or unwilling to prosecute the crimes on its own. The U.S. signed but never ratified the Rome Statute, and the ICC has never opened an investigation into alleged crimes committed on U.S. territory.
The court has, however, taken actions against President Donald Trump’s ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has also opened investigations into American actions overseas, including alleged war crimes committed by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Some human rights organizations and legal experts have also argued that U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific and the U.S. abduction of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro could fall within the ICC’s jurisdiction, as Venezuela is a party to the Rome Statute. The ICC has not opened a formal investigation into the U.S. conduct.
(July 13, 2026)
Actions under consideration include:
– Diplomatic calls from the Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary, ambassadors, and other members of senior leadership to foreign nations highlighting the abuses of the ICC and the risks posed to Americans and other nations urging them to withdraw from the ICC
– Nations that partner with American law enforcement and the U.S. military or that enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella are called upon to reject the ICC’s purported authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen
– Increased scrutiny of nations that refuse to reject the ICC’s false authority while relying on U.S. assistance
– Diplomatic calls urging other nations that, like America, that are not party to the Rome Statute to leverage their diplomatic networks to take similar actions alongside us
– Visa revocations and travel bans for ICC personnel
– Increased sanctions against the ICC and affiliated organizations
Muscat: The Maritime Security Centre has reported that three oil tankers were targeted in separate attacks off the Omani coast, with one crew member confirmed killed and three others still missing, as authorities continue to monitor the situation and coordinate response efforts.
One Indian crew member was killed, and eight others were wounded in an Iranian missile strike targeting two Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (Adnoc) shipping arm confirmed that two of its very large crude carriers were struck and sustained “significant damage” while passing through the strait.
Araghchi agreed that whoever provides safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait should be paid for the service.
Then came the catch.
„Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER,“ he wrote on X.
And as for Trump‘s proposed price?
„20% is of course too much. We will be fair.“
President Donald Trump is “very serious” about his plan to impose a 20% toll on cargo transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official told Semafor, asserting that it’s a plan he’s wanted to move forward with for months.
The president has long flirted with the idea of charging a toll, wondering back in April “why shouldn’t” his administration do so and threatening to impose fees in June if a deal with Iran was not completed within a 60-day period.
„Whether the going rate is $200 or $20m, there is no legal basis for charging vessels to exercise their right of transit passage through an international strait,“ Lloyd‘s List editor Richard Meade wrote Monday. „Whether such demands originate in Tehran or Washington is largely beside the point. The danger lies in normalising the idea that access to one of the world‘s most important maritime arteries can be subject to politically conditioned payments.“
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday criticised US President Donald Trump‘s proposal to impose a 20 per cent charge on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, mocking Washington as a „pirate“ state.
His remarks came after Trump announced that the US would reinstate what he called the „Iranian blockade“ and begin charging vessels for securing one of the world‘s busiest shipping lanes.
The strait was open before the US and Israel joined forces to wage war on Iran, only to have that nation slam it shut. Some vessels got through during the ceasefire, with Iran charging $3 million for a fully loaded supertanker to transit the strait.
Trump’s threatened toll would jack that cost up to $69 million.
President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. will impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,” after declaring America the “guardian” of the major oil shipping route.
President Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports. The blockade will go into effect on July 14 at 4pm ET.
Trump also claimed the U.S. would be „reimbursed“ at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships, though the details and seriousness of the initiative were not immediately clear.
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman has summoned Mousa Farhang, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Sultanate of Oman, to hand him a formal note of protest following the targeting of sites in the Governorates of Musandam and Al Wusta by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The note of protest was handed over by Shaikh Khalid bin Hashil al Musalhi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs, when he received the Iranian Ambassador in Muscat today.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident some nine nautical miles (about 17km) east of the Omani coast.
“Military authorities have reported that a container ship has sustained damage to the rear of the vessel, which has caused a fire on board,” it said.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution,” it added.
The alert came moments after CENTCOM announced the start of a third round of strikes on Iran, citing an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged ship in the strait.
Published: 11:01 PM, Jul 11, 2026
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held talks in Muscat on Saturday regarding navigation on the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its safety and freedom in light of recent developments and their repercussions.
The two sides agreed to carry on with the talks at both the technical and political levels to reach agreements in accordance with international law.
The discussions were held by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, and Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a statement to reporters outside the UN Security Council on Friday, Ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani said the United States has repeatedly breached the MoU, including through large-scale military attacks on Iranian islands and southern cities on July 7 and 8.
These renewed attacks, he said, constitute a “flagrant violation” of the UN Charter and a material breach of the MoU’s first clause, which commits the US to ceasing all military action against Iran.
Iranian officials privately told Trump advisers that they made a mistake in shooting at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, that the attacks stemmed from an „errant“ sect of hardliners who are trying to undermine negotiations, and that they want to keep talking, senior U.S. officials said on Friday.
The White House wants the regime to publicly acknowledge its mistake, which the Trump administration views as a violation of the ceasefire.
President Trump has directed his team — led by Vice President JD Vance, the president‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to continue negotiations.
The talks are to take place in Oman on Saturday.
“What’s different now, compared to the start of the conflict, is that Iran is striking vessels using the ’Omani route’ rather than targeting all vessels, which means vessels will increasingly turn towards the ’Iranian route’ or transit dark when transiting through the strait,” said Xavier Tang, a senior market analyst at Vortexa.
Meanwhile, 22 Japan-linked vessels, including six large crude oil tankers, transited the strait to exit between July 7 and 9, leaving only four vessels in the Gulf, Japan transport minister Yasushi Kaneko told a news conference on Friday.
As conflicts proliferate and risks to civilians mount around the globe, embracing the “responsibility to protect” — an international norm aimed at preventing mass atrocity crimes, such as genocide — is more crucial today than ever before, the General Assembly heard today, in its annual debate on the topic.
“Twenty-one years ago, world leaders made a milestone commitment to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,” said Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of Secretary-General António Guterres, who delivered opening remarks on his behalf.
Referring to the outcome of the 2005 World Summit, where Member States agreed to unprecedented new parameters for atrocity prevention, he said States remain primarily responsible for the protection of their populations. “However, in cases where national authorities have failed to do so, Member States undertook a promise — a promise to take collective, decisive and timely action in line with the UN Charter.”
(news entries)
RAMALLAH, July 4, 2026 (WAFA) – Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh affirmed that the organized terrorism carried out by colonist gangs against Palestinian villages and towns in Jenin, Nablus, Jerusalem, and Hebron in the occupied West Bank is a dangerous escalation of violence.
In a statement, Abu Rudeineh said the attacks have included assaults on homes and residents, the burning of agricultural land, the uprooting and destruction of olive trees, damage to private property, and the seizure of water sources.
He said the escalation, carried out with the direct protection and support of the Israeli army, which continues its daily policy of killing in the Gaza Strip, necessitates immediate international intervention to provide international protection for the Palestinian people before the situation spirals out of control.
The International Criminal Court‘s prosecutor’s office has not applied for a single arrest warrant over crimes committed in Sudan‘s Darfur region since the country‘s devastating war began in April 2023, despite more than three years of investigation and repeated public assurances that charges were imminent, Middle East Eye can reveal.
(…)
For more than a year after Khan‘s leave of absence in May 2025, the prosecution did not provide any explanation to the pretrial chamber regarding the late application.
(…)
The deputy prosecutor, who is currently in charge of the Darfur investigation, has yet to provide a timeline for any other arrest warrants, MEE understands.
Previously, the procedure was expected to consist of a two-stage vote in which members would first vote on whether misconduct had occurred and its gravity, with a second vote on removal triggered only if they found „serious misconduct.“
The ASP, which is made up of diplomatic representatives from the international court‘s 125 member states, is due to vote on Khan‘s future at the United Nations‘ headquarters in New York City on 24 July.
It comes after the bureau, a body of diplomats from 21 member states, determined by a two-thirds majority last month that Khan had committed „serious misconduct.“
This was despite a judicial panel, appointed by the bureau to review the findings of a United Nations investigation into complaints against Khan, concluding that the evidence against him was insufficient to establish any level of misconduct.