US and allied naval commanders in Mideast transit Strait of Hormuz, in show of force against Iran
May 19, 2023 GMTABOARD THE USS PAUL HAMILTON IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ (AP) — The Mideast-based commanders of the U.S., British and French navies transited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday aboard an American warship, a sign of their unified approach to keep the crucial waterway open after Iran seized two oil tankers.
Iran holds military drill near strategic Strait of Hormuz
December 30, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s military on Friday kicked off its annual drill in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state TV reported, even as the authorities continue their crackdown on anti-government protests that have been underway for over three months.
Iranian hard-liner suggests closing key strait over protests
December 14, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A hard-line newspaper close to Iran's ruling clerics on Wednesday suggested authorities close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies, in response to alleged foreign support for the nationwide protests gripping the country.
US, Iran in tense sea incident; Tehran preps new centrifuges
June 22, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.S. Navy warship fired a warning flare to wave off an Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat coming straight at it during a tense encounter in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, officials said Tuesday.
7 earthquakes strike off Iranian coast; no damage reported
June 15, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Seven earthquakes struck off Iran’s southern Kish Island on Wednesday, rattling Dubai and other areas across the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. Geological Survey said six magnitude 4 temblors struck, as well as one magnitude 5.3 off the island near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Ship expands Iran Revolutionary Guard’s reach to new waters
May 27, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is building a massive new support ship near the strategic Strait of Hormuz as it tries to expand its naval presence in waters vital to international energy supplies and beyond, satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard holds military drill amid tension
December 20, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard staged a major military exercise across the country's south on Monday amid heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, state TV reported.
State TV: 2 strong quakes jolt southern Iran, 1 dead
November 14, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — At least one person died after two strong earthquakes struck the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan, state TV reported Sunday.
State TV quoted Azizollah Konari, the Bandar Abbas governor, as saying a 22-year-old man died when an electric pole fell on his head as a result of the earthquake.
Iran begins annual war games ahead of nuke talks with West
November 7, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s military began its annual war games in a coastal area of the Gulf of Oman, state TV reported Sunday, less than a month before upcoming nuclear talks with the West.
The report said navy and air force units as well as ground forces were participating in a more than 1 million square-kilometer (386,100 square-mile) area east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
American B-1B bomber flies over Mideast amid Iran tensions
October 31, 2021 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Air Force said Sunday it flew a B-1B strategic bomber over key maritime chokepoints in the Mideast with allies including Israel amid ongoing tensions with Iran as its nuclear deal with world powers remains in tatters.
US Navy launches Mideast drone task force amid Iran tensions
September 8, 2021 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet said Wednesday it will launch a new task force that incorporates airborne, sailing and underwater drones after years of maritime attacks linked to ongoing tensions with Iran.
Iran bypasses Hormuz Strait to export crude oil
July 22, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran Thursday began exporting crude oil for the first time in the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
During a ceremony marking the inauguration of the project, President Hassan Rouhani called the plan “strategic.”
Iran rejects US claim that speedboats sparked encounter
May 11, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday rejected the U.S. Navy's claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a tense encounter in the already sensitive region...
US ship fires warning shots in encounter with Iranian boats
May 10, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A group of 13 armed speedboats of Iran's Revolutionary Guard made “unsafe and unprofessional” high-speed maneuvers toward U.S. Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, and a U...
State TV: Iran inaugurates new underground missile facility
March 15, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Monday inaugurated a new underground facility designated for missile storage, the country's state TV reported...
Israeli-owned cargo ship back at sea after suspected attack
March 3, 2021 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-owned cargo ship that suffered a mysterious explosion last week has left Dubai’s port and was transiting the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, satellite tracking data showed...
South Korean diplomat in Iran over seized ship, frozen funds
January 11, 2021 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A South Korean diplomatic delegation arrived in Iran on Sunday to negotiate the release of a vessel and its crew seized by Iranian forces amid an escalating financial dispute between the countries, Iranian state-run media reported...
South Korean tanker was boarded by armed Iran Guard forces
January 5, 2021 GMTSEOUL (AP) — Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessel's owner said Tuesday, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program...
Iran starts 20% uranium enrichment, seizes South Korean ship
January 5, 2021 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran began enriching uranium Monday to levels unseen since its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and also seized a South Korean-flagged tanker near the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a double-barreled challenge to the West that further raised Mideast tensions...
US nuclear submarine transits Strait of Hormuz amid tensions
December 21, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An American nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine traversed the strategically vital waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula on Monday, the U...
Report: Iran’s Guard flew surveillance drone over USS Nimitz
September 23, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard force has managed to fly a surveillance drone over the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier which last week transited through the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian news agency said Wednesday...
Report: Iran’s Guard flew surveillance drone over USS Nimitz
September 23, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard force has managed to fly a surveillance drone over the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier which last week transited through the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian news agency said Wednesday...
Iran begins expansive annual war games amid tensions with US
September 10, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s military Thursday began an expansive annual three-day exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state TV reported, with the maneuvers taking place amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the U...
US says Iran briefly seizes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz
August 13, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U...
Iran launches underground ballistic missiles during exercise
July 29, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched underground ballistic missiles Wednesday as part of an exercise involving a mock-up American aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting its network of subterranean missile sites...
Iran missiles target fake carrier as US bases go on alert
July 28, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched missiles Tuesday targeting a mock aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a drill that included such a barrage of fire the U...
Iran moves mock aircraft carrier to sea amid US tensions
July 27, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions with the United States, satellite photographs released on Monday show, likely signalling the Islamic Republic soon plans to use it for live-fire drills...
Amid US tension, Iran builds fake aircraft carrier to attack
June 9, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S., the Islamic Republic appears to have constructed a new mock-up of an aircraft carrier off its southern coast for potential live-fire drills...
Iran holds funeral for 19 sailors killed in navy accident
May 12, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran held a funeral Tuesday for 19 sailors killed when a missile fired during an Iranian military training exercise this week mistakenly struck a naval vessel, the state TV reported...
Iran says missile kills 19 sailors in training accident
May 11, 2020 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A missile fired during an Iranian military training exercise mistakenly struck a naval vessel instead of its intended target in waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iranian authorities said Monday...
Armed men seize, release tanker off Iran by Strait of Hormuz
April 14, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Armed men boarded a Hong Kong-flagged tanker ship Tuesday off the coast of Iran near the crucial Strait of Hormuz, holding the ship for a short time before releasing it amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U...
S. Korea naval unit to expand operations to Strait of Hormuz
January 21, 2020 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean anti-piracy unit has temporarily expanded its mission to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route at the center of soaring tensions between Iran and the United States...
The Latest: Iran says US sanctions ‘more unstable than ever’
September 27, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf (all times local):
AP Analysis: Saudi oil attack part of dangerous new pattern
September 17, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The assault on the beating heart of Saudi Arabia's vast oil empire follows a new and dangerous pattern that's emerged across the Persian Gulf this summer of precise attacks that leave few obvious clues as to who launched them...
Iran uses advanced centrifuges, threatens higher enrichment
September 7, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Saturday said it now uses arrays of advanced centrifuges prohibited by its 2015 nuclear deal and can enrich uranium "much more beyond" current levels to weapons-grade material, taking a third step away from the accord while warning Europe has little time to offer it new terms...
New US-led patrols in Persian Gulf raise stakes with Iran
September 4, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As the U.S. tries a new way to protect shipping across the Persian Gulf amid tensions with Iran, it finds itself sailing into uncertain waters...
New US-led patrols in Persian Gulf raise stakes with Iran
September 3, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As the U.S. tries a new way to protect shipping across the Persian Gulf amid tensions with Iran, it finds itself sailing into uncertain waters.
UK joins US Strait of Hormuz mission; Iran slams sanctions
August 5, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Britain said Monday that it would join a U.S.-led naval security mission in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's seizure of merchant vessels has raised tensions with the West...
Report: Iran seizes tanker carrying ‘smuggled fuel’ in Gulf
August 4, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian forces seized a ship in the Persian Gulf suspected of carrying smuggled fuel, state media reported Sunday, marking the Revolutionary Guard's third seizure of a vessel in recent weeks and the latest show of strength by the paramilitary force amid a spike in regional tensions...
UAE and Iran hold rare talks in Tehran on maritime security
July 31, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — For the first time in six years, officials from Iran and the United Arab Emirates met in Tehran to discuss maritime security amid an increase in tensions in the Persian Gulf, both countries confirmed Wednesday...
US officials: Iran test-launched a medium-range missile
July 26, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Iran test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile inside its borders, U.S. officials said Friday, defying Trump administration demands that it curtail the weapon program and demonstrating its intent to further push back against U...
UK: Europe-led mission will protect vital shipping in Gulf
July 22, 2019 GMTLONDON (AP) — Britain announced plans Monday to develop and deploy a Europe-led "maritime protection mission" to safeguard shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz in light of Iran's seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the waterway last week...
The Latest: Iran’s FM says UK ship was traveling unsafely
July 22, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf (all times local):
Iran eyes ‘toll’ on Strait of Hormuz ships
July 22, 2019 GMTIran reiterated Sunday that it will pursue a "toll" on all ships traveling in the Strait of Hormuz the latest escalation of a global crisis that threatens the movement of oil through the Middle East and may force a reluctant Britain to impose fresh economic sanctions on Tehran.
New audio shows UK could not prevent Iran takeover of tanker
July 21, 2019 GMTLONDON (AP) — The release Sunday of an audio recording has shed new light on the seizure of a British-flagged tanker at the hands of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as tensions flare in the strategic Strait of Hormuz...
Iran eyes ‘toll’ on Strait of Hormuz ships
July 21, 2019 GMTIranian lawmakers on Sunday said they believe their country should impose a "toll" on all ships that pass through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The proposal comes just 48 hours after Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) seized a British oil tanker traveling through the Strait, a key shipping channel in the region.
The Latest: UK rejects Iran’s ‘tit for tat’ view of tanker
July 21, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on developments related to tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):...
British Airways, Lufthansa suspend Cairo flights
July 21, 2019 GMTLONDON (AP) — British Airways and Lufthansa both said Saturday they were suspending flights to Cairo for unspecified reasons related to safety and security...
Gulf tanker incidents may raise shippers’ costs, cut traffic
July 20, 2019 GMTSeizures of oil tankers and other hostile Iranian measures in the Strait of Hormuz are already raising insurance rates for shipping companies and could eventually reduce tanker traffic in the vital waterway, with a spike in global oil prices a serious risk even without war, energy and maritime experts say...
Iran’s poking at West heightens risks of military missteps
July 20, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Rather than tangle with a stronger U.S. military, Iran is poking and prodding its Western antagonists in ways apparently designed to avoid triggering war but that nonetheless seem to heighten the risk of missteps and miscalculation that could lead to an armed conflict with global consequences...
Iran’s seizure of UK tanker in Gulf seen as escalation
July 20, 2019 GMTLONDON (AP) — Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker Friday and briefly detained a second vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying tensions in the strategic waterway that has become a flashpoint between Tehran and the West...
The Latest: Gulf incidents rattle shipping industry
July 19, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on developments related to tensions between the U.S and Iran (all times local):...
American warship destroys Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz
July 19, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. warship on Thursday destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after it threatened the ship, President Donald Trump said...
The Latest: Iran shows seized fuel tanker matches UAE ship
July 18, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on developments related to tensions between U.S and Iran (all times local):...
US fears Iran seized UAE-based tanker in Strait of Hormuz
July 17, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A small oil tanker from the United Arab Emirates traveling through the Strait of Hormuz entered Iranian waters and turned off its tracker three days ago, leading the U...
The Latest: Iran says it helped a tanker with tow to harbor
July 17, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf amid a crisis between the United States and Iran (all times local):...
Britain says Iranian vessels tried to block tanker in Gulf
July 11, 2019 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy said Thursday it stopped three Iranian paramilitary vessels from disrupting the passage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz in a brief but tense standoff stemming from the U...
AP Explains: Mideast tensions threaten key global oil route
July 11, 2019 GMTThe brief standoff between British and Iranian naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday looks to renew concerns about the vulnerability of world energy supplies to tensions in the Persian Gulf region...
AP Analysis: Europe squeezed in Iran-US nuclear deal dispute
July 4, 2019 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — When it comes to saving Iran's nuclear deal, Europe finds itself in the impossible situation of trying to salvage an accord unraveling because of the maximalist U...
Saudi Arabia vows to help S. Korea if oil supplies disrupted
June 26, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Wednesday with visiting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who promised to help with possible fuel shortages in case of supply disruptions caused by tensions in the Middle East.