Paris (France) (AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Netanyahu’s UAE visit**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a “secret” meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during the war with Iran, his office said. “The visit marked a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”
– **Iran threatens Kuwait**
Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, and called for their release. “In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This illegal act took place near an island used by the U.S. to attack Iran. We demand immediate release of our nationals and reserve the right to respond,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.
– **Senate backs Trump**
US senators narrowly rejected a resolution curbing President Donald Trump’s power to wage war on Iran — their first vote on the conflict since a 60-day deadline expired for the White House to seek formal authorization. The vote tally was 50-49.
– **Lebanon says 10,000 homes hit**
More than 10,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Lebanon since a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the head of the country’s National Council for Scientific Research said. “Since the current ceasefire…we have witnessed 5,386 housing units that were completely destroyed, and 5,246 housing units damaged,” CRNS chief Chadi Abdallah told a news conference broadcast by local media.
– **12 killed in Lebanon**
Israel intensified strikes on Lebanon with the health ministry reporting 12 people killed in attacks, mostly south of Beirut, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The fresh raids, which also targeted various areas of the country’s south, came on the eve of a new round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington brokered by the United States, as Hezbollah remains strongly opposed to the move.
– **US wholesale prices jump**
Wholesale prices in the United States rose sharply in April, lifted by a surge in energy costs related to the Iran war, registering their highest 12-month increase in more than three years. The Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 6 percent for the 12 months ending in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said — the highest level since December 2022.
– **Iran hangs man**
Iranian authorities hanged a man in his early 30s convicted of spying for Israel, the sixth person to be executed on such charges since the start of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic. The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online website described Ehsan Afreshteh, 32, as “a spy trained by Mossad in Nepal who sold sensitive information to Israel.” But the Norway-based Hengaw and Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGOs said in separate statements that Afreshteh had denied the accusations and said he had been subjected to televised “forced confessions” obtained through torture.
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© 2024 AFP
