After a month of ceasefire, tension is rising in The Middle East. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported early this morning new "missile and drone attacks" from Tehran, after United States and Iran escalated tensions with a hostilities exchange in the Strait of Hormuz.
This attack comes after on Thursday the United States Central Command claimed to have targeted Iranian military objectives in response to Tehran's actions against US destroyers transiting the Hormuz Strait.
The hostilities come as a month has passed since the unilateral ceasefire declared by Trump on April 8, with still no peace agreement materializing with Tehran.
Rubio expects a response from Iran "today" for "serious" peace negotiations
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated on Friday that he expects an Iranian response regarding "serious" peace agreement negotiations, after meeting in Rome with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, reports Efe.
"We should know something today. I mean, we are waiting for a response from them. We will see what the response entails. The hope is that it is something that can put us in a serious negotiation process," he said at a press conference.
Rubio's statements come as a month has passed since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, and following the sudden tensions between both parties the day before in the Hormuz Strait, with a series of reciprocal attacks.
IAG estimates a ¤2 billion impact from the kerosene crisis and will redirect its offer to the Canary and Balearic Islands with Iberia and Vueling
The crisis unleashed in the aviation sector due to the closure of the Hormuz Strait since February 28 will have a limited impact on International Airlines Group (IAG), the Madrid-based holding company that manages airlines such as Iberia, British Airways, or Vueling, among others.
The escalation in jet fuel prices during these more than two months of conflict will result in an extraordinary cost of ¤2 billion in the airlines' operations. Luis Gallego, CEO of the holding company, indicated that 40% of this bill (¤800 million) will be absorbed by the airlines in their results, and another 60% (¤1.2 billion) will be recovered "through revenues and management measures."
Iran says every time a negotiated solution approaches, the US takes military action
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abás Araqchí, stated on Friday that every time a diplomatic solution to the war approaches, the United States carries out "a reckless military adventure," in the first official Iranian reaction to the exchange of attacks between Tehran and Washington last night, reports Efe.
"Every time a diplomatic solution is proposed, the US opts for a reckless military adventure," the politician stated. Araqchí questioned whether this is "a crude pressure tactic" or that "once again, a saboteur has deceived the US president into getting involved in another quagmire," in an apparent reference to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Whatever the reasons, the result is the same: the Iranians never yield to pressure, and diplomacy always suffers," he asserted.
Iran creates a special authority to collect tolls in Hormuz
Iran has established a new government agency responsible for approving passages through the Hormuz Strait and collecting navigation fees, reported the specialized newspaper Lloyd's List, as cited by Afp.
A strategic point through which a fifth of the world's hydrocarbons usually transit, Hormuz has become one of the main focal points of tension since the start of the war in the Middle East, triggered by the Israeli-American attack on Iran on February 28.
Despite the ceasefire that came into effect on April 8, the situation remains very conflictive, with Iran blocking the strait and the United States imposing a blockade on Iranian ports.
The EU emphasizes that adding a fuel surcharge after the purchase of an airplane ticket is prohibited
Airlines do not have the right to add a fuel surcharge after the purchase of an airplane ticket, the European Union stressed on Friday, despite the sharp increase in jet fuel due to the war in the Middle East, reports Afp.
The addition of a fuel surcharge "cannot be justified." If companies modify the ticket price after booking, they are subject to European legislation on unfair competition, indicated the European Commission spokesperson, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
In France, the Spanish airline Volotea had defended the fuel surcharge it claims after ticket purchase, whose legality is being reviewed by the authorities.
The US still awaits an Iranian response to end the war
The United States is still awaiting a response from Iran regarding a potential agreement to end the war, as explained on Friday by the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, after meeting in Rome with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, reports Efe.
"The Secretary has said they are waiting for an Iranian response, and we have encouraged dialogue," Tajani stated in a media declaration after the meeting.
The war between the United States and Iran that erupted on February 28 has now reached a fragile one-month ceasefire reached by the parties, although tensions increased between both with a series of reciprocal attacks in the Hormuz Strait.
The Iranian army claims to have intercepted a tanker in the Sea of Oman
The Iranian military authorities announced on Friday the seizure of a tanker in the Sea of Oman, in a new episode of tension in one of the most sensitive maritime routes of global energy trade.
According to the statement released by the Iranian army, the operation would have taken place in strategic waters near the Hormuz Strait, a key area through which a significant part of global oil transits. Authorities have not immediately detailed the name of the vessel or its flag, although they indicated that the intervention took place within the framework of maritime control operations in the region.
Iraq denies US accusation that its Deputy Oil Minister sold crude to Iran
The Iraqi Ministry of Oil denied on Friday the accusations by the United States against its Deputy Minister, Ali Maarij al Bahadli, who was singled out by Washington for allegedly abusing his position to divert and sell Iranian crude to evade the sanctions on the Islamic Republic, reports Efe.
"The ministry stated that it denies the accusations against its Deputy Secretary for Distribution Affairs, Ali Maarij al Bahadli," said the department in a statement disseminated by the Iraqi official news agency INA, which emphasized the "full respect for legal procedures and the country's judicial power."
Yesterday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department sanctioned the Iraqi official for "abusing his position to facilitate the diversion of oil and its sale for the benefit of the Iranian regime and its affiliated militias in Iraq," according to a statement.
Rubio meets with Meloni in Rome amid tensions with Europe over the war in Iran
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, began a key day of diplomatic contacts in Rome on Friday with the aim of reducing tensions between Washington and its European allies regarding the war with Iran.
The most prominent meeting of the day will be the scheduled meeting with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in a context marked by deep differences on the strategy in the Middle East and the consequences of the conflict. The visit comes after several days of diplomatic friction between the United States and Italy over the role of European allies in the war and the mutual criticisms about conflict management.
Iberia activates a response plan to the fuel price increase to mitigate the impact on ticket prices
Iberia has launched a response plan to the rising fuel prices, with measures to ensure supply, to mitigate the impact on ticket prices, and ensures that there are no flight cancellations this summer, reports Efe.
The company's president, Marco Sansavini, explained on social media that the results presented by IAG (the group to which Iberia belongs) reflect the company's strength, with an operating profit of ¤164 million and a margin of 9.1%.
However, the context has changed, says the president, because the sharp rise in fuel prices is having a significant impact on the entire industry, requiring proactive action and continued strengthening of financial solidity and operational excellence.