Washington (United States) (AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Iran calls US demands ‘irrational’**
Iran said Thursday that Washington’s demands were “maximalist and irrational” and denied any negotiations were under way on a ceasefire to end the war in the Middle East. “Messages have been received through intermediaries, including Pakistan, but there is no direct negotiation with the US,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the ISNA news agency.
– **Trump to address nation**
President Donald Trump will address Americans on the Iran war on Wednesday evening in Washington, his first prime-time speech since the conflict began, as his approval ratings plunge and economic anxiety rises. The White House gave no details on the address, but it comes hours after Trump claimed Iran had sought a pause in hostilities, and that fighting could be over in “two weeks, maybe three.”
– **Israel says Iran launches more missiles**
Israel’s military said early Thursday its air defences were operating to down missiles fired from Iran. “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israeli military said on its official Telegram account.
– **Stocks rally, oil falls**
Global stocks rallied Wednesday and oil prices fell after Trump said the Middle East war could be over within weeks despite Tehran pushing back against his comments. Wall Street’s main indices closed higher, building on major gains from the previous day. German, French and British markets also rose.
– **World Bank raises alarm**
The World Bank is “extremely concerned” about the impact the conflict will have on inflation, jobs, and food security, and is in talks with member states on how to address immediate needs in the crisis, a top official told AFP on Wednesday. Managing Director Paschal Donohoe’s comments came as his organization announced a new partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Energy Agency (IEA) to coordinate aid responses to the war.
– **Israel medics say 14 wounded**
Israel’s emergency services said 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl, were wounded near Tel Aviv during a missile attack that the military blamed on Iran. Later in the day, medics said they were treating a 61-year-old man in mild condition with blast injuries in the north following fire from Lebanon, where Israeli forces are fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah.
– **’America First’?**
Iran’s president asked Americans if the Middle East conflict was truly putting “America First” and accused the US of war crimes and being influenced by Israel. The US-Israeli attacks sow “instability, increase human and economic costs” and plant “seeds of resentment that will endure for years,” said President Masoud Pezeshkian. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?”
– **Iran Guards say Hormuz closed to ‘enemies’**
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards insisted that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to the country’s “enemies,” as Trump said re-opening the strait was one of his conditions for a ceasefire.
– **Former Iran foreign minister wounded**
Former Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi was seriously wounded in a strike that claimed the life of his wife, Iranian media reported. According to the newspapers Shargh, Etemad, and Ham Mihan, Kharazi’s home in Tehran was targeted in a US-Israeli strike. He is still an adviser to the government.
© 2024 AFP
