Iran warns of retaliation as US readies new sanctions; Syria, Israel hold rare talks

Iran has warned that it will respond harshly to a fresh round of US sanctions expected to be announced soon, with a foreign ministry spokesperson saying on Monday that Tehran's hands are not tied and that any escalation would bring consequences.

The warning comes after months of deadlock over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil supplies. Iranian threats and attacks have severely disrupted traffic through the strait, and Tehran has linked any reopening to the lifting of a US naval blockade, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, and reparations for war damages. Iran has also held separate talks with Oman on jointly managing the waterway, regardless of whether a new deal with Washington is reached.

While sanctions have historically driven up prices of basic goods in Iran, the country's economy has adapted over the years by finding new trading partners and building domestic industries. Still, the Iranian currency hit a record low on Monday, with traders anticipating further price increases if tighter sanctions restrict exports.

In a separate development, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met a high-level Israeli delegation in Jordan over the weekend, according to Syrian state media. The US-mediated talks, held less than a week after Israeli strikes on an air base in northern Syria, focused on restarting negotiations for a future security agreement. Syrian officials asserted their right to develop an army and forge alliances with any country, and called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a buffer zone in southern Syria. They also reiterated that the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967 and later annexed, is Syrian territory. Israeli officials had not commented on the meeting as of Monday.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian-American homeowner in the West Bank village of Qusra said he remains unable to move freely after his home was besieged by Israeli settlers earlier this month. Loui Ridi, who traveled from Ohio to join relatives defending the property, said settlers have returned throughout the week to a hill above his house. He and his family have had to coordinate movements with the Israeli military, which declared the area a closed zone and converted a nearby home into a drone base, just to buy essential supplies like food and water.

The siege has drawn condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including the US ambassador to Israel, who called the violence terrorism. No arrests have been announced by Israeli police. Palestinians view the West Bank, home to roughly 3 million Palestinians and 560,000 Israeli settlers, as the heart of a future state, and have condemned a dramatic spike in settler violence this year.