Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the West Asia war, as a means to blackmail Gulf states, Qatar’s top diplomat and premier said on Tuesday (May 12, 2026).

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was speaking during a press conference in Doha with Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan — close allies who have emerged as key intermediaries in the Iran-U.S. talks alongside mediator Pakistan.

Iran-U.S. war: Follow LIVE updates on May 12, 2026

“Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries,” the Qatari Minister said.

Mr. Fidan also said the strait must not be “used as a weapon”, according to an Arabic translation of his Turkish comments.

Gulf countries have borne the brunt of Iran’s attacks during the war, with Tehran targeting U.S. assets but also civilian infrastructure, airports and energy facilities.

Its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas usually passes, has also halted crucial maritime exports for the energy-rich Gulf, straining their economies.

Highlighting Qatar’s growing role in peace talks, Sheikh Mohammed said a visit he made to the United States in recent days sought to bolster mediation efforts to end the war.

“The visit focused primarily on supporting the Pakistani diplomatic efforts and ensuring a positive response to these efforts to reach a solution as quickly as possible,” he said.

Ankara has been in close contact with Qatar and other Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, “particularly regarding the ongoing negotiations”, Mr. Fidan said.

Japan has taken delivery of its first stockpile of oil from Russia since global supplies were choked off by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Iran war, reports said.

A tanker carrying crude that was produced as part of a Sakhalin-2 natural gas development project reached the coast of Imabari in western Japan on Monday (May 4, 2026), TV Tokyo, the Asahi Shimbun daily and other media said on Monday (May 4, 2026), citing unnamed officials of wholesaler Taiyo Oil.

Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other OPEC+ countries increased their oil production quota on Sunday (May 3, 2026) in an expected move aimed at demonstrating continuity at the cartel after the shock withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates.

The seven major producers will add “188,000 barrels per day” to their total production quota for June, as part of “their collective commitment to support oil market stability,” according to a statement published by OPEC+. The statement made no mention of the United Arab Emirates, which quit the body this week.

International flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport will resume on Saturday (April 25, 2026), the ISNA news agency reported, days after Iran reopened its airspace.

The first flights to resume will be to Istanbul and Muscat, the announcement said. Iran’s airspace was slammed shut by the U.S,-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28 and is only slowly being reopened during the ceasefire.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s surprise one-day visit to Riyadh was part of an outreach by the government amidst a tense phase in the West Asian conflict, and took place, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions.

The NSA’s visit was announced late on Sunday (April 19, 2026) night by the MEA, at the end of his meetings with a number of senior Ministers. In Riyadh, Mr. Doval held talks with his counterpart, National Security Adviser Musaed Al-Aiban. He also met Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, both princes in the Saudi royal family. He was received at the airport by Saudi Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al Sati, who was earlier the Saudi Ambassador to India for about a decade from 2012-2021.

Iran’s “valiant navy” is “ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said.

Mr. Khamenei sent the defiant message on Saturday (April 18, 2026) as Iran swiftly reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Claiming “historic achievements” in the fight against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Saturday (April 11, 2026) that the “campaign is not yet over,” but Israel managed to foil Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The campaign against Iran is not over, we still have more to do. But even now it can be clearly stated that we have historic achievements,” Mr. Netanyahu said in the video in Hebrew.

Facing a looming U.S. deadline, Iran’s President said Tuesday (April 7, 2026) that 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the war.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the comment on X just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to bomb power stations and bridges in Iran if it doesn’t loosen its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran-Israel war updates on April 7, 2026

The figure is double other figures mentioned by state media in the past about volunteers the government had been soliciting by text messages and media as the war went on.

Iran is home to 90 million people. Many remain angry at the government over its bloody crackdown on nationwide demonstrations and the 14 million figure likely is aimed at trying to dissuade the promised American bombing campaign.

“More than 14 million Iranian people have declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in the [self-sacrificing] campaign,” Pezeshkian wrote. “I too have been, am, and will remain ready to give my life for Iran.”