…As Trump poised to withdraw support  from Iran nuclear deal***

Following disruptions caused by inclement weather at the Port of Durban on 10 October 2017, which resulted in only 80% of navigable area declared safe by last night, progress has been made in clearing obstruction on the seabed. This brings the total port area that is safe for navigation of vessels to 95%, as at 16h00 today.

The latest results of the sounding surveys that were conducted indicate that there is no obstruction on the seabed that could pose risk to navigation along the Durban Container Terminal: Pier 1. However, sounding surveys are still in progress along the C-Shed area and in the interest of ensuring safe navigation of vessels, vessel movement is still suspended in this area.

Transnet National Ports Authority’s focus still remains on continuing with the implementation of the recovery operations and supporting terminal operators to restore normality.

In the meantime, US President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw backing from the nuclear accord with Iran on Friday and lay out a more confrontational strategy.

The move would not withdraw the US from the deal but give Congress 60 days to decide whether to do so by re-imposing sanctions.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been consulting with counterparts in Europe and China, officials said.

Mr Trump has been under pressure at home and abroad not to scrap the deal.

Under the 2015 accord, Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear programme in return for the partial lifting of sanctions.

President Trump has been a longstanding critic of the deal and pledged to scrap it during his campaign.

Congress requires the US president to certify every 90 days that Iran is upholding its part of the agreement. Mr Trump has already recertified it twice.

Speculation that Mr Trump might refuse to recertify the deal has caused alarm among US allies and some members of his own administration.

Defence Secretary James Mattis told a Senate hearing earlier this month it was not in the national interest to abandon it.

Additional report from BBC