Doha, Qatar —(Map)
Today, NewsForKids.net looks at two important stories: The US and Iran are back at war over control of the Strait of Hormuz. And in Qatar, the nation is mourning Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who helped turn the country into a wealthy and powerful nation.
US and Iran Return to Fighting
The United States and Iran are fighting again. The peace deal the two countries agreed to in June has fallen apart. The biggest area of disagreement now is the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s greatest strength in the war has been that it controls the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas pass through this important waterway. During the war, Iran closed the strait to most Western countries, which drove up fuel prices and caused serious problems worldwide. Reopening the strait was one of the conditions of the peace deal.
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Iran’s greatest strength in the war has been that it controls the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas pass through this important waterway. Reopening the strait was one of the conditions of the peace deal. On Sunday, Iran said the strait was closed again.
After making the deal, Iran did reopen the strait, but it said that ships must follow the paths that Iran approved. Iran fired on ships that didn’t follow these paths. The US responded by bombing targets in Iran. This led to more attacks from Iran. On Sunday, Iran said that the strait was closed again.
President Donald Trump says the ceasefire is over. He has told Congress that the US is at war with Iran again. This could lead to a political struggle, since some leaders believe Mr. Trump needs permission from Congress to continue fighting.
In the past, Iran’s plans to charge ships money to cross through the strait upset the US. But now Mr. Trump says the US will take control of the Strait of Hormuz and will charge other countries a 20% fee for crossing it.
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President Donald Trump says the ceasefire is over. Mr. Trump says the US will take control of the Strait of Hormuz and will charge other countries a 20% fee for crossing it. That’s a very different position for the US. Above, cargo ships anchored near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
That’s a very different position for the US. Just a few weeks ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. ”
In addition to bombing targets in Iran, Mr. Trump says the US will restart its blockade of Iran’s ports.
As tensions rise between the US and Iran, it’s unclear if the two nations can find a way to stop the violence and avoid returning to a full-scale war.
Sheikh Hamad, Leader Who Helped Qatar Grow, Passes Away
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led Qatar from 1995 to 2013, has died at age 74. The country has declared four days of mourning. Sheikh Hamad will be remembered as the man who turned his tiny country into a rich and powerful nation.
Qatar
Qatar is a small country in the Middle East. Since the 1850s, Qatar has been ruled by an “emir” or king. From 1960 until 2013, each new emir forced the previous emir from power.
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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led Qatar from 1995 to 2013, has died at age 74. The country has declared four days of mourning. He’ll be remembered as the man who turned his tiny country into a rich and powerful nation. Above, images of Sheikh Hamad on billboards in Doha, Qatar on Sunday.
In 1995, Sheikh Hamad took control of the country while his father was traveling. He said he wasn’t happy about doing it, “but it had to be done.”
Sheikh Hamad made big changes. Qatar has huge amounts of natural gas. Sheikh Hamad developed this resource, earning massive amounts of money for the country.
He then used this money to increase Qatar’s fame and power. Sheikh Hamad started a news network called Al Jazeera, which became famous worldwide. He created the airline Qatar Airways, which flies around the world. He put money into stores and sports teams in other countries, including France’s Paris Saint-Germain soccer team.
(Source: UNCTAD[CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Sheikh Hamad wanted Qatar to be a leader in the Middle East. He built strong ties with the US and other nations. Qatar became an important country in solving international problems. The country is still playing a part in efforts to end the war between the US and Iran.
In 2013, Sheikh Hamad did something very unusual in Qatar: he stepped down to let his son, Sheikh Tamim, take over.
Did You Know…?
Qatar attracted attention, but also criticism, when it hosted the World Cup in 2022. Some people thought it didn’t fairly earn the right to host the contest. Other people criticized the way Qatar treated the foreign workers who built its stadiums.
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