Global flashpoints: Hormuz standoff, Norway's king dies, Nepal floods

Iran refuses to reopen Strait of Hormuz; King Harald V of Norway dies at 89; Nepal flood death toll rises to 475.

Global flashpoints: Hormuz standoff, Norway's king dies, Nepal floods — Iran's Revolutionary Guard spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi stated that Hormuz will not reopen until the US returns to the June MoU terms.[^1] White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly countered that no talks are ongoing or scheduled with Iran and that the naval blockade remains in full force.[^1] The standoff deepens as Trump's "Operation Economic Outcast" campaign aims to sever Iran's economic lifelines, with evidence of food shortages and long queues at gas stations in Iran.[^1] King Harald V of Norway passed away today at the age of 89.[^2] Crown Prince Haakon is expected to succeed him. Harald, who reigned since 1991, was a popular figure known for his unifying presence. The death toll from the floods in Nepal has risen to 475, with the hardest-hit area being the mountainous Rasuwa district near the Gyirong border crossing.[^3] Nepal's foreign ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said Nepal does not need external assistance in rescue and relief operations.[^3] Meanwhile, 558 people are missing in Tibet as a result of the same flood event, according to Chinese state media.[^4] Election alliances splinter as polls show anti-Netanyahu camp divided — Gilad Erdan, chairman of the Unity Party, confirmed on Thursday morning that he is holding talks with Benny Gantz's Blue and White party about a possible merger. Erdan said that if several parties join together and pass the electoral threshold, voters will begin to consider the move more seriously.[^1] Gantz, for his part, rejected calls to withdraw from the election, stating he should lead any alliance formed before the deadline for submitting party lists.[^1] While Erdan and Gantz explore unity, the broader anti-Netanyahu camp faces a rift. Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman refuse to commit to backing Gadi Eisenkot as the opposition's candidate for prime minister, a refusal that risks splitting the opposition and potentially allowing Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government even if the opposition wins a Knesset majority.[^2] The Bennett-Lapid alliance itself is encountering difficulties in forming a unified list, though a Maariv poll