— 🇮🇷/🇸🇦 NEW: Saudi Arabia wants to sign a non-aggression pact with Iran

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇨🇳/🇺🇸 NEW: Iran has started to allow Chinese ships to pass the Strait of Hormuz after paying tolls

In China, where the FM said they reject the concept of tolls, the fee is being framed as a fee for ‘environmental and logistical upkeeping costs’.

By allowing Chinese ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has effectively neutralized the leverage that Trump held over China during his visit.

Trump planned to pressure Iran, with the help of China, to open the Strait. But now that Chinese vessels are transiting freely, China won’t feel the need to be on board with this pressure.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇸🇦 Some quick thoughts:

In my opinion, a non-aggression pact between Iran and Saudi Arabia (or any other Arab states) does not serve Iran, it only serves Saudi Arabia.

Saudi, Emirati or any other Arab nation’s involvement in the war with Iran does not make any meaningful difference in terms of offensive firepower, when America and Israel are already going all-out.

In fact, a non-aggression pact restricts Iran’s primary pressure tool, namely choking the Gulf states and crippling global oil supply. Reminder that ARAMCO has still barely been targeted; this is being kept in store for further escalation if necessary.

By signing a non-aggression pact, Iran basically agrees not to attack the Persian Gulf states without getting anything in return. What matters is U.S. and Israeli non-aggression guarantees, which are impossible to obtain.

And what’s the point of a non-aggression pact if American bases are still located on Saudi Arabia’s soil? Perhaps if they remove those, the matter could be reconsidered.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇸🇦/🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Saudi Arabia told Trump the war in Iran should be ended and the Strait of Hormuz should be open, citing ‘immeasurable economic losses’ if the situation continues

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇨🇳/🇮🇷 President Trump: ‘Chairman Xi is a great friend of mine. They [China] have promised they won’t send any military equipment to Iran’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi: ‘The Strait of Hormuz is open for anyone that isn’t an enemy of Iran. You just need to pay the tolls.’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇸🇾 NEW: Syria’s new Chargé d’Affairs in Washington D.C., Mohammad Qanatari, meeting with U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇮🇷/🇺🇸 NEW: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has canceled his trip to New York next week due to 'circumstances preventing the visit at this time’ – Yedioth Ahronoth

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇱/🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: The IDF will enter the maximum state of alert, starting tomorrow, when Trump leaves China

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, calls Pete Hegseth a failed TV host & says he does nothing but LARP and cosplay as Secretary of War

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇨🇳/🇮🇷 NEW: President Trump writes a long post praising Xi Jinping, and says Iran’s military decimation will ‘be continued’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇨🇳/🇮🇷 Reporter: ‘What exactly did President Trump ask President Xi for when it comes to Iran?’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio: ‘He didn’t ask him for anything. We’re not asking for China’s help, we don’t need their help. We made it clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇨🇳/🇮🇷 Reporter: ‘How does the administration aim to lower gas prices?’

Marco Rubio: ‘Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon’

@Middle_East_Spectator