Strong Baht May Deter Tourist Spending, Impact Forward Bookings

TEHRAN: Iran has asked Qatar to allow an Iranian military fact-finding team to enter the country to investigate the fate of pilots Tehran says went missing after an incident involving Iranian aircraft, adding another layer of tension to already strained regional relations. Iranian military official Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Armed Forces General Staff’s Committee for the Search for Missing Persons, said an Iranian Air Force expert team had been waiting for months to travel to Qatar, according to Iranian media. Baqerzadeh accused Qatari authorities of repeatedly delaying the investigation and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene in the case. Qatar, however, has rejected Iran’s claim that it is holding Iranian pilots. Doha said its search-and-rescue teams recently recovered the remains of one pilot after Iranian aircraft entered Qatari airspace in March and failed to respond to repeated attempts to establish contact. Qatari authorities said they had contacted Tehran to coordinate the transfer of the remains and invited Iranian officials to examine details of the search-and-rescue operation. Qatar said it had not received a response. The dispute comes as Tehran continues to focus heavily on the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Iran says air defence capacity survived war Separately, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official claimed that more than 85 per cent of Iran’s air-defence production capacity survived the recent conflict. According to Iranian media reports, the official said attacks on military production facilities had not significantly reduced the production or delivery of missiles and air-defence systems. He also claimed that production in some areas had increased and that Iran’s operational air-defence capabilities were now stronger than at the beginning of the fighting. The claims could not be independently verified. Hormuz shipping talks continue Iran has also announced progress in negotiations with Oman over new shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat had reached an agreement on a shipping-route map following weeks of technical discussions. The negotiations began after a memorandum of understanding was signed in June to develop safer navigation arrangements. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that the technical talks with Oman should not be confused with negotiations over reopening the waterway. He said existing maritime routes were no longer functional and that Iran and Oman were working on a temporary route that could eventually become permanent. Tehran links security to US actions Iranian officials continue to insist that the full restoration of security in the strait depends on an end to what Tehran describes as US military pressure, threats and a naval blockade. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control, while accusing Washington of suffering strategic setbacks. The statements underline the widening gap between Iran and the United States over the strategic waterway, despite technical discussions between Iran and Oman aimed at facilitating maritime navigation. Hezbollah commander reportedly killed Meanwhile, tensions have also continued along Iran’s regional front. Israel’s military said it killed Abu Hassan Alaa, described as a senior Hezbollah commander, in a strike in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said the attack targeted a Hezbollah headquarters in the Ansar area. Hezbollah had not immediately commented on the claim. The developments show how multiple disputes remain intertwined across the region, from missing military personnel and air-defence claims to the sensitive question of shipping through Hormuz. For Tehran, however, control and security of the strait remain central. While Iran and Oman appear to be making technical progress on navigation arrangements, Iranian officials continue to maintain that any broader reopening of the waterway will depend on wider political and security conditions.