**Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:**
**- Trump says war ‘close to over’**
US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran is “very close to being over” in an interview with FOX Business’s “Mornings with Maria” to air on Wednesday. It came as Trump mentioned that US-Iran peace talks could resume later this week, while Israel and Lebanon agreed to launch direct negotiations, signaling movement on two key fronts in efforts to ease the Middle East conflict.
**- China-Russia meeting**
China’s President Xi Jinping met with Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday, according to Chinese state media. Beijing and Moscow are close economic and political partners, and their foreign ministers agreed in a call this month to work together to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
**- Iran must commit to ‘no nuclear weapon’**
US Vice President JD Vance stated that Trump told Iran that the United States would “make Iran thrive” if it committed to “not having a nuclear weapon.” At the heart of any renewed US-Iran diplomacy is the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme, with Trump launching the war under the pretext that the Islamic republic was developing an atomic bomb — which it denies. “That’s the kind of Trumpian grand bargain that the president has put on the table. Man, we’re going to keep on negotiating and try to make it happen,” Vance said at an event in Georgia hosted by the conservative group Turning Point USA.
**- Israel, Lebanon agree to direct talks**
Israel and Lebanon agreed to hold direct negotiations after “productive discussions” between the two sides in Washington, according to the State Department on Tuesday. The announcement followed talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which Israeli and Lebanese envoys engaged for more than two hours. “All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue,” a State Department spokesman said.
**- Zelensky laments US has no time for Ukraine**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that US peace negotiators “have no time for Ukraine” due to the war in Iran, lamenting the disruptions in deliveries of US arms. Zelensky informed German public broadcaster ZDF that Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have been instrumental in brokering talks with Moscow regarding the conflict in Ukraine, were “constantly in talks with Iran” at the moment. “If the United States does not put pressure on Putin…and only engages in a gentle dialogue with the Russians, then they will no longer be afraid,” he added.
**- US not renewing Iran oil sanctions relief**
The US Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that it does not plan to renew a temporary easing of sanctions on Iranian oil aimed at alleviating war-related supply shocks. “The short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed,” the Treasury Department stated. It emphasized that it is “maintaining maximum pressure” on Tehran.
**- Hezbollah strikes**
Hezbollah reported that it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the commencement of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington.
**- US turns back ships**
The US military stated that it stopped six ships from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 24 hours of a naval blockade against the Islamic republic. Earlier reports indicated that at least two vessels departing from Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade. These were among at least four Iran-linked vessels that utilized the route after the blockade took effect at 1400 GMT on Monday, according to maritime data provider Kpler.
**- Trump hints at new talks**
US President Donald Trump mentioned to the New York Post on Tuesday that a second round of Iran talks could happen in Pakistan “over the next two days,” following an initial round that concluded over the weekend without a deal. “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying in a phone interview with a Post reporter in Islamabad. Earlier, senior Pakistani sources informed AFP that Pakistan was working to facilitate a second round of talks between Iran and the United States, with one source stating negotiators were trying to extend the countries’ current two-week ceasefire “to allow for additional time.”
**- Trump ‘shocked’ at Meloni’s war stance**
US President Donald Trump expressed criticism towards Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her reluctance to assist in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he stated in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
**- Red Cross sends aid**
The international Red Cross and Red Crescent reported that a shipment of medical supplies and other aid crossed the border into Iran on Sunday, marking its first delivery since the conflict began.
**- IMF cuts region’s forecast**
The International Monetary Fund sharply reduced its 2026 growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa to 1.1 percent, as the war hampers Gulf oil and gas exports. Previously, it had anticipated a regional growth of 3.9 percent this year. Iran, Iraq, and Qatar are expected to be particularly hard-hit, according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook. However, growth is projected to rebound next year, as long as energy production and transport “normalize” in the coming months, the IMF predicted.
© 2024 AFP
