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Iran says coastal attack will lead to full Gulf closure and mine-laying

An attack on Iran's southern coast and islands will lead to Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea mines, the country's Defence Council said on Monday, according to state media. The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, according to Axios. "Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf (...) to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast," the statement read. "In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time (...) One should not forget the failure of more than 100 minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines." The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran...
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More than 100 pilot whales stranded in Western Australia, experts say

Marine wildlife experts were frantically trying to rescue some 140 pilot whales stranded on Thursday in the shallow waters of an estuary in the southwest of the state of Western Australia. The whales are stranded at Toby Inlet in Geographe Bay, the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said. The area is near the town of Dunsborough in a region popular with tourists, and about 236 km (146 miles) south of state capital Perth. "We understand there are four pods of up to 160 pilot whales in total spread across about 500 metres. Unfortunately, 26 whales that stranded on the beach have died," a department spokesperson said in a statement. "A team of experienced staff including wildlife officers, marine scientists, veterinarians are on site or on their way." Based on previous strandings, "these events usually result in the beached animals having to be euthanised as the most humane outcome," the spokesperson said. Read also: Rare giant blue whale sighted at Gadani beach Photos posted on Facebook by the state's Parks and Wildlife agency showed a crowd of people near several beached whales. Ian Wiese, from whale conservation group Geographe Marine Research, said more than 100 volunteers were at the scene. "They were trying to comfort them and make sure that their heads were out of the water so they could breathe," Wiese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television from the estuary. In July last year, more than 50 pilot whales died after stranding on a remote Western Australia beach. The state experienced its largest whale stranding at Dunsborough in 1996 when 320 pilot whales beached themselves. Pilot whales are known for their tight-knit social bonds, so when one gets into difficulty and strands, the rest often follow, according to the University of Western Australia.

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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