Middle East Crisis

Strait of Hormuz
Traffic in Hormuz at highest level in two months

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is increasing. On Thursday, 25 commercial ships passed through the strait – the highest number since April 18, according to the maritime traffic tracking company AXS Marine.

Since the outbreak of the war, fewer than 8 ships have passed through Hormuz per day on average. Normally, traffic is around 110 passages per day.

The agreement reached by Iran and the US this week means, according to the mediating country Pakistan, that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened immediately. Shipping companies such as Swedish Stena Bulks have so far been cautious as several question marks remain.

Iran War
Report: Iran has established secret cells in Iraq

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has built up secret cells in Iraq that are used to carry out attacks on American bases in Gulf countries. Several Iraqi sources told Reuters.

Each cell includes about ten Iraqi Shiite elite soldiers and many of them have been recruited from the Islamic resistance movement in the country.

Between April 20 and May 17, three or four cells are said to have carried out at least seven drone attacks against targets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others, according to three of the sources. However, Reuters has not been able to verify the information.

The cells are used to operate outside the militia networks and thus avoid detection.

Gaza War
UN: Gaza ceasefire is a “cruel and deadly illusion”

The UN says the Gaza ceasefire is just a “deadly illusion”, writes AFP.

Despite a ceasefire being declared last October, at least 990 Palestinians have been killed by Israel.

“During a period supposedly marked by restraint and protection, an average of one child has been killed every day for more than eight months,” says James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency Unicef.

He says the children have not been killed in war zones but “in their homes, schools or while playing football”.