U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insists the Strait of Hormuz remains open. This comes after a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway and as Iran and Oman say they are close to a deal to reopen the waterway. Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this week as the country tried to reach a deal. Iran says the waterway will not reopen until the U.S. meets its conditions. Shipping data platform Kpler says transits fell nearly 20% through the Strait of Hormuz last week.

The United Arab Emirates has blamed Iran for firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks, described as acts of piracy, caused no casualties but highlighted the dangers in this critical waterway. The UAE's Foreign Ministry called on Friday the attacks a violation of the United Nations' principles of freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, activists marched through the occupied West Bank to bring food and water to Palestinians under siege by Israeli settlers. In Yemen, the military claimed to have thwarted Houthi attacks amid ongoing fighting.

Crew members of a Yemeni ship attacked by Houthi rebels earlier this week say a second missile hit during rescue efforts, causing more chaos and casualties. Yemeni authorities say three ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis struck the ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing six and injuring at least nine. It was the first deadly attack this year by the Houthis on a vessel in the strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The attack is part of an escalating campaign by the Houthis that risks reigniting a civil war in Yemen following a truce in 2022.

Israeli settlers have besieged three homes in the occupied West Bank, including one owned by a Palestinian American, for several days. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee on Thursday referred to the settlers as “terrorists.” It was an unusually sharp rebuke from the Trump administration, which has signaled broad acceptance of Israeli settlements over the years while condemning violence. Mounting criticism of Israel from the United States could pose a challenge for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is trying to maintain good relations with his country’s closest ally as he mobilizes ultranationalist voters ahead of a tough battle for reelection in October.

Authorities in Yemen say at least six people were killed when Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The Transportation Ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Tuesday the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. The deadly vessel strike came amid renewed attacks on government-controlled areas in Yemen, raising concerns that the violence could reignite civil war and further threaten regional shipping routes. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iran, there has been renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip.

A Senate committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times at the hearing. Also, Iran said Wednesday it’s in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. The agreement is likely to be contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports.

Iran and Oman are inching toward a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially help bring an end to the war. A mass funeral was also held on Tuesday in Gaza City for more than 100 Palestinians recovered from the rubble of an Israeli airstrike nearly three years ago. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels say they have fired at Saudi Arabia. Israeli and Lebanese officials are continuing talks to implement a deal to disarm the Hezbollah militant group and drawdown the Israeli military. And in the Lebanese capital, victims' relatives marked the anniversary of the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people.