Netanyahu rejects Trump Gaza plan as Iran hardens Strait of Hormuz demands
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed a US ceasefire framework for Gaza as Iran insists on tough preconditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a 15-point Gaza plan endorsed by Donald Trump, declaring that Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed". The refusal deepens a rift with Washington even as the US president signalled a shift to economic pressure against Iran, and Tehran hardened its terms for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
At a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel "rejects the 15-point document" and that the IDF would continue to "thwart threats against our forces and our citizens". The plan, which Hamas had accepted, envisaged a phased withdrawal and hostage releases. A Hamas official, Bassem Naim, urged the US to pressure Netanyahu not to "obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons".
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US meets a list of demands. Spokesman Hossein Mohebi described the waterway as "a theatre of war" rather than a commercial route. The conditions include lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, compensation for war damages, and the release of frozen assets. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Washington would not resume while the US breaches an interim memorandum signed in June.
Trump, in an interview with Axios, said his administration was "low keying it" and "only semi-negotiating", preferring to watch Iran's "huge inflation" and empty coffers do the work. The US has maintained a naval presence and sanctions since strikes began in February.
While the US-Iran standoff persists, other capitals are reshaping security architecture. Syria announced a memorandum with Moscow to convert the Russian bases at Hmeimim Airport and Tartus port into joint training and rehabilitation centres within three months, preserving "mutual interests".
In Mecca, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said is "technically the same as NATO's Article 5". A ministerial committee and a secretariat in Riyadh will oversee the alliance, which Fidan insisted is not aimed at Iran. He added that Egypt is expected to join once technical issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, Houthi forces in Yemen claimed missile and drone strikes on Saudi positions in Mokha and on the Aramco refinery in Jazan, which processes 400,000 barrels a day. Saudi authorities said a fire at Jazan was extinguished with no injuries.
The coming days will test whether the US can bridge the Gaza gap. Washington's leverage over Netanyahu is limited by domestic politics, while Iran's Hormuz demands appear designed to force a formal negotiation on the June memorandum's implementation. The new Mecca pact may offer a parallel security track, but its credibility depends on whether Egypt and other Gulf states join. For global markets, the Hormuz closure remains the most immediate risk to oil flows.