Iran's Ghalibaf questions new global shipping route

Middle East outlets stress that both US threats and Iranian warnings are raising fears for Gulf and Red Sea security. They highlight Gulf states’ insistence that any US-Iran deal must guarantee safe passage through Hormuz, while also noting Iran’s claim that it is responding to US pressure and war conditions. Many expect regional mediators, including Gulf and possibly Omani channels, to keep pushing a peace proposal that links a ceasefire with shipping guarantees.

• •Gulf governments insist that secure access to the Strait of Hormuz must be written into any US-Iran settlement.
• •Iranian officials argue that Hormuz cannot simply reopen while war and sanctions continue.
• •Regional commentators warn that threats to Bab el-Mandeb would endanger Red Sea trade and East Africa’s fuel supplies.
• •Mediators in the region are circulating peace proposals to Washington and Tehran that tie a ceasefire to shipping security.
• •Security planners in Gulf states fear that a miscalculation could draw their ports and energy facilities into direct conflict.