Overview
- Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned strikes on the UAE, Kuwait and Qatari waters, voiced full solidarity with Bahrain, and warned that further escalation could undercut diplomatic mediation.
- The UAE and Austria deepened their strategic partnership and issued a joint statement denouncing Iranian attacks and threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al‑Mandeb, affirming the right of self‑defense under the UN Charter.
- Bahrain’s High Criminal Court handed life sentences and fines to defendants convicted of collaborating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and issued additional prison terms for others who praised or aided the March attacks.
- Iran conveyed a response to a U.S. proposal through a Pakistani mediator, but analysts said splits across Iran’s power centers are slowing any decision, with the nuclear stockpile and control of Hormuz used as leverage.
- Iraq’s prime ministerial adviser rejected reports of an Israeli base near Najaf, saying forces confronted an unidentified landing attempt on March 5 and that Baghdad filed complaints through coalition and U.S. channels.