Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Washington’s navy secretary leaves office ‘immediately’

White House says Tehran in ‘very weak position’; Iran says two seized ships transferred to its coast; US navy secretary exiting post ‘effective immediately’, says Pentagon‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran saysEU leaders meeting in Cyprus need to start preparing a playbook on what should happen if a member country facing attack puts out a call for help from bloc partners, the president of Cyprus said.President Nikos Christodoulides said EU leaders would discuss “giving substance” to Article 42.7 of the bloc’s treaties, which oblige all 27 member states to assist each other in such times of crisis. Continue reading...