The Oeiras Council announced that the river transport service will be available starting from this date.
Retaliatory Attacks Between the US and Iran
US armed forces carried out attacks on Iranian targets for the second consecutive night. This action was a direct retaliation for attacks perpetrated by the Islamic Republic against merchant ships in waters near Oman.
The US military Central Command (CENTCOM) disclosed on social media that, following orders from President Donald Trump, American forces initiated additional attacks against Iran. The stated objective was to further reduce Iran's capacity to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Context of the Confrontations
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The attacks that occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday during the Iranian dawn were a response to those carried out by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. These attacks targeted merchant ships and their civilian crews navigating freely through this internationally important strategic route.
Donald Trump had threatened to trigger more military measures against Iran on Wednesday after declaring that the Iranian attacks on civilian vessels signaled the end of any ceasefire.
Statements and Responses
After the NATO summit in Ankara, the US president stated: 'We will attack them forcefully tonight,' assuring that the new confrontations would be concluded 'very quickly,' but maintaining the possibility of continuing diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
Later, before landing in the United Kingdom, Trump reiterated the threat to Tehran if there was a recurrence of attacks on merchant ships, warning: 'If it happens again, it will be much worse,' in a post on his Truth Social platform, accompanied by a photo of a fire near a city.
Impact on Iranian Targets
Shortly after the CENTCOM announcement, Iranian state television reported explosions on Abu Musa island. Subsequently, eight explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and two projectiles hit the port of Sirik, while another two exploded at the port of Jask.
The Iranian news agency Irib reported that the Imam Ali hospital, located in Chabahar, suffered damage due to shrapnel. The official Iranian agency IRNA also reported that combat aircraft flew over Kish island and several explosions affected the port cities of Konarak and Chabahar, in addition to Bandar Abbas, causing power supply interruptions in some areas.
It is estimated that the targets of the bombings were maritime traffic control towers.
Strategic Importance of the Strait
This recent episode of retaliatory attacks disrupted a fragile ceasefire agreement and harmed expectations of transforming the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a definitive peace pact to end the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on February 28.
In discussions, control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the global oil supply passes, currently holds greater relevance for Tehran than its nuclear program.
The strait grants significant power to the Iranian regime, allowing it, in practice, to impose a stalemate against the world's most powerful military force.
Although Iran has not assumed responsibility for the attacks, analysts suggest that Tehran uses these actions to strengthen its influence while negotiating a long-term peace agreement with the United States.
Trump commented in Ankara: 'If we make an agreement with Iran, I am not sure it will hold,' adding that 'I found them to be very dishonorable people.'
The US president, who repeatedly threatened to intensify military action before backing down, emphasized that he does not foresee a return to a total war and that it remained uncertain whether negotiations for a permanent agreement would continue.
