US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday threatened to impose secondary sanctions and penalize Oman if it assists Iran in facilitating a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz. US government partially views any such toll payments as a violation of international sanctions because the funds risk enriching the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The US Treasury has specifically warned global shipping firms and mediators including banks in the UAE and Oman against processing payments. Formerly a mediator between the US and Iran, Oman has been put under immense diplomatic and economic pressure as US attempts to block Iran's shadow banking networks.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris for a state visit. The two leaders witnessed the signing of a preliminary defense pact to potentially finalize new orders for French military hardware, including Rafale fighter jets, Scorpene submarines, and light frigates.

The meetings underscore Indonesia's growing diplomatic and strategic influence in the Indo-Pacific, with France viewing the country as a vital economic and geopolitical balancing partner in Southeast Asia.

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Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui in Pyongyang on Thursday. The rare working visit which is the first by a Singaporean top diplomat in eight years, covered wide-ranging regional issues, global security, and bilateral ties.

At the meeting, Balakrishnan encouraged North Korea to engage constructively with the region and keep communication channels open, specifically highlighting the importance of participating in the ASEAN Regional Forum.

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Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced the creation of a government "restructuring" commission to adapt it to a "new political reality" following the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro. The acting president appointed Hector Rodriguez, minister of Education and a prominent chavista figure, as commissioner for the "restructuring and reengineering of the government."

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, on the sidelines of a Security Council high-level meeting.

During the meeting, Guterres commended China's initiative to host the high-level meeting, praising China as a reliable partner for sustainable development and a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions. On the other hand, Wang Yi outlined a five-point proposal to revitalize the UN system, strengthening and upholding the principles of the UN Charter.

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Japanese Emperor Naruhito hosted a state banquet at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo for visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Emperor expressed deep gratitude for the Philippines' aid following the 2011 and 2024 Japanese earthquakes.

Marcos reciprocated, proposing a toast to an enduring friendship. Held with approximately 90 attendees, the Wednesday event celebrated the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

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Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have firmly rejected US President Donald Trump's demand that Muslim-majority nations normalize ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords as a mandatory condition for any Iran peace deal.

Saudi Arabia is maintaining its red line, insisting it will not sign the accords without the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. Likewise, Pakistan's defense minister explicitly rejected the demand, stating it clashes directly with the nation's core ideologies. He said that his country maintains its longstanding position that it will not recognize Israel without a viable Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.

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US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was not yet satisfied with Iran's offers to make a deal, after Iranian state television reported details of what it claimed was a draft agreement.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump added that he was in no rush to reach an accord to end the Middle East war, despite saying at the weekend that one was close. Trump added that the Iranians were "negotiating on fumes."

Iranian state TV said earlier Wednesday that a draft outline of a memorandum of understanding with Washington included a commitment to lift the naval blockade on Iran, restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and withdraw US forces from the Gulf.

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Pope Leo XIV held meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Vatican on Wednesday. The talks focused on diplomacy, migration, and artificial intelligence, serving as a prelude to the Pope’s official apostolic journey to Spain scheduled for June 6 to 12. The two sides also emphasized shared alignment on diplomacy over military intervention in ongoing conflicts, as outlined in the Pope’s recently published encyclical manifesto.

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Japan's Diet has enacted a law to establish a national intelligence bureau. The move is aimed at strengthening the government's intelligence capabilities. The bill was approved at a plenary session of the Upper House on Wednesday by a majority vote.

The law stipulates that the intelligence bureau will be given the authority to comprehensively gather and analyze information from ministries and agencies. It also says a national intelligence council will be created within the Cabinet. The body will be chaired by the prime minister and comprise Cabinet ministers with relevant portfolios, including the chief cabinet secretary and the foreign minister.

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