Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Reopening Hormuz ‘not possible’**
Iran’s parliament speaker stated that the Islamic republic would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the US naval blockade remained in place, calling it a “blatant violation” of the two countries’ ceasefire. “A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade… Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X.
– **Trump says halted executions**
US President Donald Trump announced that Iran had halted alleged plans to execute eight women arrested over anti-government protests after he urged Tehran to release them to help with peace negotiations. “I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request… and terminated the planned execution,” he said on his Truth Social platform. However, Iran’s judiciary called the claim “false news,” asserting that the women had never faced the death penalty.
– **War ‘weakening’ Europe**
The war is “starting to weaken Europe,” remarked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The war in our region is likewise starting to weaken Europe, and if we do not address this situation with an approach that prioritises peace, the damage… will be far greater,” Erdogan stated in a conversation with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, according to a statement from the Turkish leader’s office.
– **Talks ‘possible’: Trump**
A second round of US-Iran talks could occur within the next three days, the New York Post reported, citing Trump and unnamed Pakistani sources. “It’s possible!” Trump reportedly communicated via text message when asked about sources in Pakistan, which mediated the first round of talks, adding that a second round was “expected in Islamabad within the next 36 to 72 hours.” Trump extended a two-week truce in the war just as it was about to expire. A digital news outlet in Pakistan, News Post, reported the three-day timeframe for more talks without providing a source or further details.
– **Lebanon war toll, damage**
Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon despite an ongoing 10-day ceasefire, as reported by Lebanese state media. Beirut is expected to request an extension of the truce during upcoming talks with Israel in Washington. More than 2,400 people have been killed, and more than a million displaced in the country since Iran-backed Hezbollah drew the nation into the war on March 2. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have damaged or destroyed over 50,000 housing units in the country, according to government estimates.
– **Iran hanging**
Iran executed a man convicted of links to Israel’s Mossad spy agency, according to the judiciary. Two NGOs based outside the country claimed he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organisation.
– **Iran Guards say two ships seized**
Iranian forces targeted three container ships, seizing two and firing on a third, as reported by global security monitors and the country’s Revolutionary Guards. Tehran has indicated that vessels must seek permission to leave or enter the Gulf through the strait, a route that in peacetime accounts for around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.
– **$500-mn cash shipment to Iraq blocked**
The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering cash to Iraq, as reported by US media, increasing pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal indicated that Washington had suspended cash shipments to Iraq and frozen funding for security programs following attacks on US interests in the country by groups showing solidarity with Iran.
– **Oil prices climb**
Oil prices climbed Wednesday, while stocks were mixed as investors awaited the resumption of peace talks. Brent North Sea was trading above $100 a barrel again, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, traded back above $90. Both main oil contracts had increased by around three percent on Tuesday.
– **Iran cargo ship targeted**
A cargo ship leaving Iran was fired upon and stopped in the water, according to a British maritime agency, as the United States continued its blockade of Iranian ports.
© 2024 AFP
