Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Israel warns Iran**: Israel’s defence minister said his country may soon have to “act again” against Iran, to ensure the Islamic republic “does not once again become a threat to Israel.” “US President Donald Trump, in coordination with (Israeli) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the efforts to achieve the campaign’s objectives, to ensure that Iran does not once again become a threat to Israel, the United States and the free world in the future,” Israel Katz said, according to a statement from his office.
– **UN says Hormuz ‘strangling’ economy**: UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm over the worsening global economic impacts of the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed due to the Iran war. The closure of the vital waterway is “strangling the global economy,” the secretary-general warned in remarks to the media.
– **No US presence in strait: Iran**: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed his country’s control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz would ensure a future without US presence in the area. “Today, by managing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will provide itself and its neighbours with the precious blessing of a future free from American presence and interference,” said Ghalibaf in a post on X to mark the national “Persian Gulf” day.
– **Deadly Lebanon strike**: Israeli strikes on three south Lebanon villages killed nine people, among them two children and five women, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, nearly two weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
– **Lebanon slams Israel**: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the “continuing Israeli violations” in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring “despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day.” “Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence, and humanitarian health and relief organisations,” he added.
– **’Accelerate’ climate transition**: The global energy crisis has shown the need for the world economy to transform and “accelerate the transition to clean energy,” the Turkish president-designate of the United Nations’ COP31 climate conference said. “We now know clearly that the global economy must transform its energy paradigm,” Murat Kurum, who is also Turkey’s climate minister, told a meeting on the energy transition at the International Energy Agency (IAE) in Paris.
– **’Major energy crisis’**: The world is facing a “major energy and economic challenge” as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, said IAE chief Fatih Birol at the same Paris meeting. With the world faced with “the biggest energy crisis in history,” oil prices were “putting a lot of pressure in many countries,” he added.
– **Blockade ‘doomed to fail’**: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said a US naval blockade on Iranian ports would deepen disruptions in the Gulf while failing to achieve its targets. “Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law…and is doomed to fail,” Pezeshkian said in a statement.
– **Oil at four-year high**: Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with the US crude benchmark Brent for June delivery spiking more than seven percent to $126.41, while West Texas Intermediate was up 3.4 percent to $110.31, before later paring gains.
– **US-Germany tensions**: Trump said the United States was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s refusal to join Washington’s war against Iran — a force estimated between 35,000 and 50,000 troops. The threats to slash US troop numbers echo Trump’s longstanding criticisms of the NATO alliance, but Merz drew Trump’s fresh ire earlier this week after saying Tehran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table.
– **EU pushes back**: Following Trump’s post, the EU said Thursday that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington’s interest. “Our NATO allies are also increasing their defence spending at an unprecedented pace,” European Union spokeswoman Anitta Hipper added.
© 2024 AFP
