Ship runs aground in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says

Key Points:

• A foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after using a route not approved by Iran, highlighting Tehran's assertion of control over the strategic waterway through which a fifth of global oil and natural gas passes.
• The incident comes amid ongoing technical talks in Doha between U.S. officials, including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and regional diplomats aimed at reaching a permanent end to the conflict with Iran, with key issues such as control of the strait and Lebanon still unresolved.
• Iran insists on controlling shipping routes and charging fees for passage through the strait, a departure from decades of international practice, while the U.S. and Gulf Arab states oppose these charges, contributing to heightened regional tensions.
• Recent attacks on ships attempting to navigate the strait without Tehran’s permission, along with the grounding incident, underscore Iran’s warnings about unauthorized routes and its enforcement by the Revolutionary Guard navy.
• Additionally, Iraqi authorities shot down an unarmed drone over Baghdad’s Green Zone, marking the first security incident since a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, amid ongoing Iranian-backed militia activity targeting U.S. interests in Iraq.