Overview
- Iran’s president, in a letter released Saturday, urged countries to resist what he called illegal US demands and praised Pope Leone XIV’s stance.
- He cited Quranic and Biblical verses and accused the US and Israel of war crimes, saying their February 28 strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 3,468 civilians, which reflects Iran’s account.
- Iran announced new rules for ships in the Strait of Hormuz, adding tolls for special services and barring operators tied to the US “Project Freedom” initiative, according to parliament security chief Ebrahim Azizi.
- The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel that carries much of the world’s oil, so new fees or bans there could slow traffic and raise costs for shippers and fuel buyers.
- The outreach to the Vatican contrasts with 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini rejected a papal plea during the US embassy hostage crisis, according to US State Department records.