Transit in the Strait of Hormuz slowed this weekend, according to data by tracking firm Kpler reported by Reuters. Only five commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and none on Sunday, according to Kpler, compared to 31 the prior weekend. At least one ship entered using the Iranian route, and a small tanker laden with Iranian fuel oil exited, data showed. Some ships may pass with their transponders off, meaning they may not be detectable, but transits are still a long way from the 130 ships that traversed the strait every day before the war started. Monday marks 60 days since the U.S. and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding that called for negotiations to reach a wider deal to end the war between the two countries and reopen the Strait of Hormuz (leave those last 3 words)”.
However, that 60-day period expires Monday amid a stalemate between the two countries and a deal seemingly nowhere in sight. Over the past two months, talks between the two sides broke down, despite President Trump repeatedly saying a deal was imminent, leading to multiple flare-ups and escalations in the fighting and a constant exchange of threats. On July 8, Mr. Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding was "over."
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator on Middle East affairs, met with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday to discuss the latest U.S.-backed peace deal that seeks the group’s disarmament and a road map for the transfer of power to a new government, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. The meeting was aimed at translating the plan negotiated by Mr. Trump’s international Board of Peace into concrete, verifiable steps, the source told CBS News, including maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, beginning to transfer all governing responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, ensuring Hamas has no future governing role in Gaza, facilitating Israeli withdrawals and deploying an international stabilizing force to the region, among other things. The rare meeting in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya was also confirmed to the Associated Press by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln after he visited the cruiser on Saturday. In a statement shared on social media, Cooper said his time aboard the Lincoln was "awe-inspiring."
“I wish every American could see the crew in action," he said. “You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience."
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln. Asked Friday if he thought the Lincoln’s deployment was too long, President Trump said it was "not nearly long enough."
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Source: CBS News
