Iran links Hormuz reopening to US concessions as Mideast tensions simmer

Iran has made clear that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington addresses a list of demands, according to a statement from the country's foreign ministry on Monday. Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the onus is on the United States to halt what Tehran describes as illegal actions and make amends, pointing specifically to the American blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran is seeking the lifting of that blockade, compensation for war-related damage, an end to economic sanctions, and the release of its frozen assets. The strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil normally passes, has become a central flashpoint in the conflict. The prolonged closure has kept energy prices at the forefront of American political debate ahead of the November midterm elections.

While Iran is holding separate discussions with Oman about a possible temporary shipping corridor, officials have stressed that any full reopening depends on direct talks with the United States.

In a separate development, Israel's military has declared the Christian-majority town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone. The move is intended to bar Israeli settlers and other non-residents from entering the town, which has faced repeated arson, vandalism, and encroachment on private property. Palestinian residents and journalists are exempt from the order unless soldiers deem their presence a security risk. The military said troops would detain suspects and disperse gatherings to maintain order.

The designation follows months of unrest in the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Parts of Taybeh fall under Area B, where Israel holds security control, but residents have long complained of slow responses to attacks by extremist settlers.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi rebels struck the Red Sea port town of Mokha on Sunday, killing seven people and wounding 30. Yemen's Defense Ministry, aligned with the internationally recognized government, confirmed that four military personnel and three civilians were among the dead. The assault is part of a significant wave of Houthi attacks on government-held positions since a 2022 truce. The renewed focus on the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait comes as some shipping has shifted toward that route with Hormuz largely closed to traffic.

Elsewhere, Gaza's beekeepers are attempting to rebuild a sector devastated by more than two years of war. Once based in agricultural lands near the strip's perimeter, which remains under Israeli military control, beekeepers have returned to areas near the Yellow Line dividing the territory. Producers in Gaza City and parts of Jabalia are maintaining hives to generate income, though they say restrictions on imports, including beekeeping equipment, are hampering their efforts. Ibrahim al-Dabbeh, head of the Cooperative Association of Beekeepers, stressed the sector's importance for sustainability and ecological balance.