New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse

DUBAI: The United States and Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks on shipping on Tuesday as hopes for ending the five-month Iran conflict appeared to fade. The Houthis said they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20. A Saudi ship carrying military equipment was attacked in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, resulting in four crew members' deaths - the first Houthi strike on shipping since the conflict began.

Meanwhile, a US Navy helicopter fired missiles to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship that violated the Saudi blockade in the Gulf of Oman. Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the US accepts Iran's conditions to end the war, including releasing frozen assets and ceasing conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.

US President Donald Trump demanded Iran pay compensation for deaths in 50 years of conflicts. Both sides have increased rhetoric in recent days, with Trump suggesting the situation might last for a while and Iran's Rezaei stating the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen as long as America doesn't change its behavior and doesn't accept Iran's conditions.