(AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **French-UK conference**
France and Britain will co-host a conference this week to discuss a multinational mission to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the leaders of both countries said on X. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the talks would focus on establishing a “strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned that more than 40 nations had been invited to explore ways to protect shipping “when the conflict ends.”
– **Israel backs blockade**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for US President Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is aimed at Iranian ports. Netanyahu added that his government was in full coordination with Washington regarding the matter.
– **Iran slams blockade**
Iran’s military declared the US naval blockade illegal, labeling it as “piracy.” They warned that no Gulf ports would be safe if their own were threatened. Since the onset of the war against it in late February, Iran has imposed control over the Strait of Hormuz and stated that ships from non-hostile countries wishing to use it would need to pay Tehran a toll.
– **China urges ‘unimpeded’ navigation**
China, which relies on energy supplies passing through the strait, called for “unimpeded” navigation through the waterway. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun dismissed US accusations that Beijing intended to supply weapons to Iran as “baseless smears,” following Trump’s threats of 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods relating to the issue.
– **Oil prices up**
Oil prices surged while stock markets broadly fell as investors reacted to the unsuccessful US-Iran peace talks and Trump’s blockade order over the weekend. Both Brent North Sea Crude, the international benchmark, and West Texas Intermediate contracts soared to over $100 a barrel.
– **Russia’s uranium offer**
Russia announced its readiness to accept Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a potential US-Iranian peace deal. “This proposal was voiced by President (Vladimir) Putin in contacts with both the United States and regional states. The offer still stands but has not been acted upon,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
– **Pope not ‘debating’ Trump**
Pope Leo XIV stated he had “no intention to debate” with Trump after the US president criticized him regarding comments on the war. After the pope made a plea for peace, Trump remarked that he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff, referring to him as “very liberal.” The head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, defended the pontiff, asserting: “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
– **Lebanon town surrounded**
The Israeli military reported that its troops had surrounded the key town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon and commenced an assault on it. This followed the killing of over 100 fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in the past week. “The fighting continues. It has not stopped,” Netanyahu stated in a video message, noting that combat was focused in that Lebanese town.
– **’Long-time’ effects**
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, will endure the war’s energy shock “for a long time to come, even after it is over,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated, as his government announced 1.6 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in fuel price relief. In other parts of Europe, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles remarked that Trump’s threatened blockade “makes no sense.”
– **Philippines trims taxes**
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announced that excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene would be reduced to mitigate the fuel price shock resulting from the war.
© 2024 AFP
