Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill Eight: Health Ministry
The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes Tuesday killed eight people, including civil defence rescuers, and wounded two soldiers in the country’s south, despite an ongoing ceasefire. Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since early March, sending troops into south Lebanon to battle the Iran-backed militant group, with the violence ongoing despite a shaky April 17 ceasefire.
– Crude Soars, Stocks Fall
Oil prices jumped on reports that US President Donald Trump was unlikely to accept an Iranian proposal to restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and Qatar warned of a possible “frozen conflict.” Brent crude for June delivery rose around 2.8 percent to $111.26 a barrel. WTI, the US benchmark, rose 3.7 percent to $99.93 a barrel.
– King Charles Urges Western Unity
In an address to the US Congress, Britain’s King Charles III urged the United States to stand firm with its Western allies, noting that the meeting in Washington came “in times of great uncertainty.” The monarch added that these were “times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.” Trump has publicly and repeatedly criticised the UK for not supporting the war in Iran.
– Trump Slams Merz
Trump lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war, after comments by Merz that Tehran is “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. Merz said that “the Americans obviously have no strategy,” in a visit to a school in western Germany, to which Trump responded that the chancellor “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” and that “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
– Drones Target Iraqi Green Zone
Air defence systems engaged drones flying over Baghdad’s Green Zone — the site of the US embassy — a military source told AFP. Iran-backed groups in Iraq have targeted US interests since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, but this was the first such incident since a fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8.
– Israel Says Destroyed Militant Tunnels
The Israeli military said it found and destroyed a large Hezbollah-built tunnel network used by elite fighters as it ordered a wave of new evacuations from Lebanon’s battle-scarred south. The tunnels, found in Qantara, were 800 metres and 1.2 kilometres in length and were destroyed with “over 450 tonnes of explosives,” the Israeli military said.
– US Marines Board Ship Believed Bound for Iran Port
US troops boarded, searched, and later released the M/V Blue Star III, which the US suspected of trying to violate its blockade of Iranian ports.
– Gulf Leaders Meet in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia welcomed leaders and officials to Jeddah from across the Gulf to discuss the ongoing crisis in the region. It was the first in-person meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members since the war broke out on February 28.
– UAE’s OPEC Pull-Out
The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels to focus on “national interests,” in a bombshell announcement as energy prices soar over the Middle East war. The UAE, one of the world’s top oil producers which has previously chafed at OPEC production quotas, will pull out on Friday, a statement carried by the official WAM news agency said.
© 2024 AFP
