Closing summary
We’re wrapping up our live coverage of the Middle East crisis for the moment. You can see our latest full report here, and below is a recap of the day’s key developments. Thanks for following along.
The White House has denied reports the US has requested an extension to its ceasefire with Iran, which is set to expire next week. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the reports were “not true”, that talks were “productive and ongoing” and that the US “feels good about the prospects of a deal” with Iran.
A second round of talks would “very likely” take place in Islamabad again, Leavitt said, adding that Pakistan was “the only mediator” in these discussions.
The White House also said the US blockade of Iranian ports “has been fully implemented” and applied to ships of all nations entering or departing the ports.
Major Wall Street stock indices finished at record levels on Wednesday, extending an upward climb on optimism for an agreement to end the war.
The US announced tightened sanctions against Iran’s oil industry.
Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing a possible ceasefire in Lebanon after pressure from Washington. Following direct Israel-Lebanon talks on Tuesday, Israel’s security cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss a truce, while the Israeli military is continuing to attack the country.
The number of Lebanese rescue workers killed in consecutive Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanon village of Mayfadoun has risen to four, with six others wounded, paramedic groups said.
Finance ministers from 11 countries globally – including the UK, Japan, Sweden and Australia – called for peace in the Middle East to be upheld, warning of risks to the global economy if the fragile ceasefire collapsed.
The Middle East conflict could push millions more towards hunger as its economic fallout reverberated around the globe, the World Bank’s chief economist said.
The chair of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on doctrine, Bishop James Massa, defended Pope Leo after vice-president JD Vance said the pontiff should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology” in relation to the US war on Iran.
Updated
Finance ministers from around the world have jointly called for peace in the Middle East to be upheld, warning of risks to the global economy if the fragile ceasefire collapses.
A joint statement from 11 countries – including the UK, Japan, Sweden and Australia – urged the US, Israel and Iran to abide by the ceasefire struck last week.
The statement reads:
The past weeks have brought unacceptable loss of life and significant disruption to the global economy and financial markets.
The ceasefire will be crucial to protecting civilian populations and the security of the region.”
The countries – also including Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Finland – called for a swift and lasting resolution to the conflict and a return to free and safe transit through the strait of Hormuz.
The statement also warns that the impacts on growth, inflation and markets will persist beyond the end of the conflict.
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China’s foreign minister has urged his Iranian counterpart to make efforts to restore normal navigation in the strait of Hormuz, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Wang Yi told Abbas Araqchi in a phone call that Iran’s sovereignty and security in the strait of Hormuz should be respected and safeguarded, but also that freedom and safety of navigation through the waterway should be guaranteed.
The situation was at a critical stage of transformation and the window for peace was opening, Wang said in the call on Wednesday, quoted by Reuters.
Four Lebanese medics killed in back-to-back Israeli strikes
The number of Lebanese rescue workers killed in consecutive Israeli strikes in a southern Lebanon village has risen to four, with six others wounded, paramedic groups said.
The three back-to-back Israeli attacks on Mayfadoun – near the town of Nabatiyeh – hit the first group of medics responding to a distress call from wounded civilians, a second group trying to assist their wounded colleagues and a third group rushing to aid the first two teams that had been targeted, the health ministry said.
The AP also reports that the Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the strikes beyond saying it was “looking into” what happened. It has previously accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group of using ambulances as cover for militant activities, without offering evidence.
The Lebanese health ministry condemned the attacks as a “blatant violation” of international law.
An official with the Islamic Health Committee involved in the rescue operation, Abou Haidar Hayya, said he feared such direct targeting of medics meant that “there are no more red lines in this war”.
The conflict in the Middle East could push millions more towards hunger as its economic fallout reverberates around the globe, the World Bank’s chief economist has said.
“You have about 300 million people who suffer from acute food insecurity already,” Indermit Gill told Agence France-Presse.
“That’ll go up by about 20% very, very quickly” as knock-on effects grow, he said.
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Stocks surge amid optimism for war deal
Major Wall Street stock indices finished at records on Wednesday, extending an upward climb on optimism about an agreement over the US-Iran war as the White House signalled plans for more talks.
After a mixed day on European stock markets, both the broad-based S&P 500 and tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index powered to all-time highs as US markets continued rising despite the Iran conflict that has spiked oil prices, Agence France-Presse reports.
“Markets are growing increasingly confident that tensions in the Middle East may be heading toward some form of resolution,” said Fawad Razaqzada, an analyst at forex.com:
That said, it still feels a touch premature to be pricing in a smooth resolution.
Talks involving JD Vance ended last weekend without an accord.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters further US-Iran talks “would very likely” be held in Pakistan, saying: “We feel good about the prospects of a deal.”
On the Iranian side, a foreign ministry spokesperson said “several messages” had been exchanged via Islamabad since talks wrapped up on Sunday.
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US imposes new sanctions on Iran oil sector
The US has announced it is tightening sanctions against Iran’s oil industry as the US keeps up its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The new punishment targets oil transport infrastructure by slapping sanctions on more than two dozen people, companies and ships that operate within the network of petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the Treasury department said on Wednesday.
“Treasury is moving aggressively with ‘Economic Fury’ by targeting regime elites like the Shamkhani family that attempt to profit at the expense of the Iranian people,” US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, alluding to a financial pressure campaign against Iran.
Shamkhani is the son of security official Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei – both of whom were killed at the start of war triggered by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The report from Agence France-Presse also quotes a separate communique from the state department as saying:
The United States is acting to decisively limit Iran’s ability to generate revenue as it attempts to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”
On Tuesday the Treasury department said it would not extend a temporary sanctions waiver that allowed the sale of Iranian oil already at sea in an effort to ease pressure on oil prices.
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US warns buyers of Iranian oil could be hit with sanctions
The US has threatened to sanction buyers of Iranian oil and says it believes China will pause such purchases as Washington enforces its maritime blockade on Iran.
“We have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions,” the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Before the US maritime blockade on Iran began on Monday, China bought more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil. Bessent said:
We believe [that with] this blockade ... there will be a pause of Chinese buying.
The treasury had written to two Chinese banks and “told them that if we can prove that there is Iranian money flowing through your accounts, then we are willing to put on secondary sanctions”, Bessent said.
Reuters also reports that China’s embassy in the US did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bessent’s remarks.
Updated
A key US bishop has defended Pope Leo XIV after JD Vance said the pontiff should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology” in relation to the US war on Iran.
Bishop James Massa, chair of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on doctrine, said in a formal response to Vance’s comments:
For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war.
Robert Mackey reports that Massa also wrote:
A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’”
On Tuesday Vance, a Catholic convert, suggested the pope’s criticism of war – after the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran – was a matter of opinion. He also said:
There are certainly things that the pope has said in the last few months that I disagree with.”
His comments came as an ongoing squabble between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the Iran war took another twist on Wednesday when Leo shared a message of peace and healing after the latest broadside from the White House.
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The day so far
The White House denied reports that the United States has requested an extension to its ceasefire with Iran, which is set to expire next week. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that was “not true” and that talks were “productive and ongoing”, and that the US “feels good about the prospects of a deal” with Iran.
A second round of talks “would very likely” take place in Islamabad again, Leavitt said. She added that Pakistan is “the only mediator” in these discussions and praises their efforts. Several outlets have reported today that in-person talks could resume next week. Meanwhile, a delegation from Pakistan arrived in Tehran for further discussion with the Iranian regime. It all comes as Donald Trump said earlier that the war was “very close to over”, while Tehran said messages were still being exchanged via Pakistan.
The White House also said that the US blockade of Iranian ports “has been fully implemented” and applies to ships of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports. Leavitt also declined to give a timeline for how long the blockade will last. US Central Command later said it had intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that “tried to evade the US blockade”. The ship was “successfully redirected” and heading back to Iran, Centcom said. Centcom added that no vessels had made it through since the US blockade began on Monday.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing a possible ceasefire in Lebanon after Washington applied pressure. After direct Israel-Lebanon talks on Tuesday, Israel’s security cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss a ceasefire. But the IDF continues to strike the country in the meantime, with the Israeli prime minister saying in a video statement that Israel was about to “overwhelm” one part of southern Lebanon. He said Israel is “prepared for any scenario” if fighting should resume, adding: “It is too early to say how this matter will end, or even how it will progress.”
Updated
US says it intercepted Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to evade blockade
US Central Command has said it intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that “tried to evade the US blockade” of all ships entering or exiting Iranian ports.
In a post on X, Centcom said the the ship was intercepted on Tuesday after departing the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and exiting the strait of Hormuz.
It said the US guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance “successfully redirected the vessel”, which is now heading back to Iran.
Centcom added:
Ten vessels have now been turned around and ZERO ships have broken through since the start of the U.S. blockade on Monday.
Israeli security cabinet discusses possible Lebanon ceasefire – report
Israel’s security cabinet convened on Wednesday to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official has told Reuters.
It comes more than six weeks into a war that has killed more than 2,100 Lebanese people, wounded more than 7,000 and displaced more than 1.2 million – creating a humanitarian disaster as Israel continues its deadly bombardment and now plans to occupy huge swathes of the country’s south.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is under heavy pressure from Washington to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, another senior Israeli official said.
While the security cabinet was meeting, however, Netanyahu released a video statement in which he said the Israeli military continued to strike at Hezbollah and was about to “overcome” the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil.
Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to continue reinforcing the so-called “security zone” – the area it plans to occupy – in southern Lebanon while at the same time negotiating a peace deal with the Lebanese government.
Israel and Lebanon held rare talks between government envoys in Washington on Tuesday.
“These negotiations have not taken place for over 40 years. They are happening now because we are very strong, and countries are coming to us – not only Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.
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Qatar's emir urges de-escalation in call with Trump
Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani spoke to Donald Trump on the phone on Wednesday about “rapidly escalating tensions in the region” and called for de-escalation, according to the emir’s office.
The two leaders discussed international maritime security and the stability of energy markets and global supply chains amid competing blockades of the critical strait of Hormuz.
“His Highness also stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to spare the region further escalation,” the Qatari statement said.
The emir also emphasised the need to use diplomatic means to preserve regional and global security and stability.
UK chancellor tells Americans Trump’s Iran war is a ‘mistake’
Rachel Reeves, the UK chancellor, earlier stepped up her criticism of Donald Trump’s war on Iran, describing it as a “mistake” that has destabilised the global economy and damaged living standards around the world.
In a marked fraying of the transatlantic relationship, she told an event in Washington that Trump breaking off from diplomatic talks with Iran and launching airstrikes seemed to have left the US president in a worse place than when he started, saying:
I think it was a mistake to end those [talks with Iran] and to enter into conflict, because I’m not convinced that we are safer today than we were a few weeks ago.
Taking aim at the White House on the president’s home turf, the chancellor’s comments added to blunt criticism of him she made just before flying out on Tuesday, when she expressed frustration at the “folly” of his decision to go to war without a clear exit plan.
Speaking as she prepared to meet global finance ministers at this week’s spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Reeves said the war had hit living standards in the UK and the US.
Calling for the urgent reopening of the strait of Hormuz to calm global energy prices, she told the CNBC Invest in America conference that the lack of clear US targets in negotiations with Iran had worsened the situation:
We had the waterway open a few weeks ago. So, if now the objective is to reopen the strait of Hormuz? Well, it was open at the beginning of this conflict.
Reeves said she had come to the IMF meetings to “deliver that fair message” that the conflict was hitting living standards worldwide and required urgent de-escalation:
We feel very strongly in our national interest that de-escalation is now the key priority. That’s what businesses and families are telling me back home and that’s the message I’m coming here to Washington to give this week.
Her comments came hours after the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, said that he would not alter his stance on the war, despite Trump threatening to rip up the US-UK trade deal because of what he perceives as the lack of support he has received from Britain.
Starmer said:
I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.
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US Senate fails to pass war powers resolution for fourth time
In a vote of 47-52, Senate Democrats failed to pass a war powers resolution to curb the Trump administration’s military campaign in Iran.
The Republican senator Rand Paul voted yes on the measure, bucking his party. while John Fetterman was the only Democratic senator to vote against the resolution.
This is the upper chamber’s fourth failed attempt but its first since Congress returned from its most recent recess and the ongoing two-week ceasefire with Iran began.
At an earlier press conference, Democrats vowed to force a war powers resolution vote every week until it advances, in order to get Republicans “on record” supporting the war.
“Our numbers will grow,” said Chris Murphy, who serves on the Senate foreign relations committee. House Democrats are pushing for a vote on a similar measure this week.
Updated
Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the United States, providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran told Reuters.
The source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Iran could be willing to let ships use the other side of the narrow strait without any hindrance from Tehran.
The source did not say whether Iran would also agree to clear any mines it may have placed in that stretch of water or if all ships – even those linked to Israel – would be allowed to pass freely.
But they added the proposal hinged on whether Washington was prepared to meet Tehran’s demands, a condition that was central to any potential breakthrough with the strait of Hormuz.
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Netanyahu says 'too early to say how this matter will end'
As Israel’s military continued to strike at Hezbollah, Netanyahu said he has instructed the military to continue reinforcing the security zone in southern Lebanon while at the same time negotiating a peace deal with Beirut.
“These negotiations have not taken place for over 40 years. They are happening now because we are very strong, and countries are coming to us – not only Lebanon,” he said.
He said in the talks with Lebanon, Israel has two main objectives – the dismantling of Hezbollah and a sustainable peace that is “achieved through strength”.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces were focused on Bint Jbeil, which he called the capital of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“We are, in effect, about to eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah,” he said.
On Iran, Netanyahu said the US keeps Israel updated and the two countries are aligned on their goals to see enriched nuclear material removed from Iran, the cancellation of enrichment capabilities within Iran, and the opening of the strait of Hormuz.
“It is too early to say how this matter will end, or even how it will progress,” he said. Should fighting resume, Netanyahu added “we are prepared for any scenario”.
Updated
The United Arab Emirates summoned the Iraqi charge d’affaires and handed him a formal protest note over what it described as attacks launched from Iraqi territory, a statement said on Wednesday.
Talks are ongoing about holding fresh face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran, the White House said.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “discussions are being had” although nothing was yet confirmed.
She added: “But we feel good about the prospects of a deal.
“It’s obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president’s demands. I think he’s made his red lines in these negotiations very clear to the other side.”
Previous negotiations broke down over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Any future talks are again likely to be held in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, she said.
Israeli military continues Lebanon strikes as pressure mounts for ceasefire
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the military continues to strike at Hezbollah and was about to “overwhelm” Bint Jbeil, as pressure mounts for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said he has instructed the military to continue reinforcing the security zone in southern Lebanon.
On Iran, Netanyahu said the US keeps Israel updated and the two countries are aligned.
Should the ceasefire with Iran fail, “we are prepared for any scenario”, he said.
Updated
US blockade of Iranian ports applies to ships of all nations, says White House
Asked how long the US blockade of the strait of Hormuz will last, Leavitt declines to commit to a timeline.
“I will never set timelines on behalf of the president of the United States,” she says.
“But with respect to the blockade, as you know, it has been fully implemented, and it’s being enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports.”
She also says she’s seen some “misreporting” on the blockade, adding that for vessels transiting the strait outside of Iranian ports, US forces are “supporting freedom of navigation”.
I’ve seen some misreporting on that as well. This includes all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and our US forces in the region are supporting the freedom of navigation for vessels that are transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports. So I know some in the press were confused about that. We are supporting the freedom of navigation, just not with respect to any tanker or vessel that would benefit the economy of Iran as these negotiations continue.
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US will not extend waiver on Russian oil sanctions, Bessent says
Bessent says the US government will not be renewing the general licences on Russian and Iranian oil.
Those waivers – which allowed purchase of some Iranian and Russian oil without facing US sanctions – were on “oil that was on the water prior to March 11th, so all that has been used”, he adds.
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Xi told Trump that China is not giving Iran weapons, White House says
Leavitt was asked if Donald Trump’s threats of a 50% tariff on China are still on the table after the US president wrote a letter to Xi Jinping telling him not to supply weapons to Iran.
Leavitt says the Chinese president assured Trump “they are not supplying Iran” with weapons in this conflict.
Bessent adds that two Chinese banks (he doesn’t identify which banks) received letters from the US treasury saying that if they can prove there is Iranian cash in their accounts the US is “willing to put on secondary sanctions” on those banks.
Updated
Bessent says 'Operation Economic Fury' under way against Iran
Bessent says the US has launched “Operation Economic Fury” (a riff on “Operation Epic Fury”, the Trump administration’s name for its war on Iran), with the aim of putting financial pressure on Iran.
He says Iran made the “fatal mistake” of bombing their neighbours in the Middle East, “who are now being more transparent” about the Iranian funds held in their banking systems.
The US has requested that those countries freeze the funds of the IRGC leadership, he says.
He adds that countries are being cautioned against buying Iranian oil. If they have Iranian cash in their banks, the US will consider secondary sanctions, he says.
Updated
White House says next round of US-Iran talks would 'very likely' be in Islamabad again
Asked if a potential second round of talks with Iran would be held in Islamabad again, Leavitt says negotiations “would very likely be in the same place as they were last time”.
She adds that Pakistan is “the only mediator” in these discussions and praises their efforts.
White House denies US has requested Iran ceasefire extension and says talks are 'productive and ongoing'
Asked about the status of extending the Iran ceasefire, Leavitt says:
I saw some reporting – again, bad reporting – this morning that we had formally requested an extension of the ceasefire. That is not true.
At this moment, we remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks.
You heard from the vice-president directly and the president this week that these conversations are productive and ongoing, and that’s where we are right now.
She adds the US “feel good about the prospects of a deal” with Iran.
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Bessent 'optimistic' US gas prices will fall before late September
Leavitt is joined at the press briefing by the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent.
Asked about gas prices (“when are we going to get $3 gas?”), Bessent says it will come down to “how the negotiations go [with Iran]”.
The US kept its side of the ceasefire, he says, but the strait of Hormuz has not been reopened.
“So we will see, and I’m optimistic that during the summer we will see gas with a 3 right in front of it, sooner rather than later,” he says.
He says he’s been meeting with his Middle Eastern counterparts, who say that “once the strait is open they can start pumping again within one week”.
Pressed on whether this can be achieved by the summer, Bessent says:
I am optimistic that sometime between June 20 and September 20, we can have $3 gas again.
Updated
White House press briefing
There is a White House press briefing due to take place imminently, hosted by US president Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
My colleague Lucy Campbell is taking over this blog now and will bring you any news lines that may emerge from that in relation to the Middle East crisis.
Updated
The day so far
US president Donald Trump said that China and the United States are working together and that Beijing is happy that he is opening the strait of Hormuz. “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Donald Trump said the war was “close to over” as he hinted at another round of peace talks in Pakistan in the coming days. Speaking to Fox News, the US president said the conflict was near its end. “I think it’s close to over, yeah, I mean I view it as very close to over.
The pro-Hezbollah outlet al-Mayadeen, citing an Iranian official, has reported that a one-week ceasefire will take effect in Lebanon starting tonight. The move comes after pressure from Iran, according to the official. The truce will coincide with the final week of the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran.
The US military said that it successfully stopped nine vessels from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of a naval blockade against the Islamic republic. “Nine vessels have complied with direction from US forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area,” US Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for American troops in the Middle East, said in a post on X.
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday at the start of a four-day tour before a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks, his office said in a statement. Sharif will also visit Qatar and Turkey on his trip, which comes after Washington and Tehran held their highest-level talks in decades in Islamabad last weekend.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes targeted paramedic teams in south Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least three of them. “The Israeli enemy targeted paramedic teams in the town of Mayfadoun, Nabatiyeh District, three consecutive times,” the ministry said in a statement.
Israel’s military chief of staff said he had ordered areas south of Lebanon’s Litani River to be turned into a Hezbollah “kill zone” as troops pressed a major offensive there. “I have ordered that all of the area of south Lebanon up to the Litani (River) line be turned into a Hezbollah terrorist kill zone,” chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on a visit to troops operating in the area.
The pro-Hezbollah outlet al-Mayadeen, citing an Iranian official, has reported that a one-week ceasefire will take effect in Lebanon starting tonight. The move comes after pressure from Iran, according to the official. The truce will coincide with the final week of the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet will convene on Wednesday at 8pm to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, a senior Israeli official has said.
The United States has not formally agreed to the extension of its ceasefire with Iran, a senior official said on Wednesday. “There is continued engagement between the US and Iran to reach a deal,” a senior US official told Reuters.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said that Tehran’s right to enrich uranium was “indisputable” although the level of enrichment is “negotiable”. In a weekly press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy could not be “taken away under pressure or through war”.
Finance ministers from more than 10 countries, including the UK, have called for a “swift and lasting” end to the US-Iran war. In a joint statement issued by the UK Treasury, the ministers said the US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks have caused “unacceptable loss of life and significant disruption to the global economy and financial markets”.
How big oil is cashing in on Iran war - podcast
The world’s top 100 oil and gas companies made more than $30m every hour in unearned profit in the first month of the US-Israeli war in Iran, according to exclusive analysis for the Guardian.
The conflict pushed the price of oil to an average of $100 a barrel in March, leading to estimated windfall war profits for the month of $23bn for the companies.
In today’s edition of The Latest podcast, Lucy Hough speaks to Damian Carrington, the Guardian’s environment editor.
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Israel’s military chief of staff said he had ordered areas south of Lebanon’s Litani River to be turned into a Hezbollah “kill zone” as troops pressed a major offensive there.
“I have ordered that all of the area of south Lebanon up to the Litani (River) line be turned into a Hezbollah terrorist kill zone,” chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on a visit to troops operating in the area.
The US military said that it successfully stopped nine vessels from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of a naval blockade against the Islamic republic.
“Nine vessels have complied with direction from US forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area,” US Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for American troops in the Middle East, said in a post on X.
“No vessels have made it past US forces,” Centcom said.
However, maritime tracking data appeared to contradict the US assertion.
Tracking data from Tuesday indicated at least three ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the strait of Hormuz, though some vessels taking the route later turned back.
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday at the start of a four-day tour before a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks, his office said in a statement.
Sharif will also visit Qatar and Turkey on his trip, which comes after Washington and Tehran held their highest-level talks in decades in Islamabad last weekend.
The Pakistani leader will discuss the “regional situation” with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, his office said.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes targeted paramedic teams in south Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least three of them.
“The Israeli enemy targeted paramedic teams in the town of Mayfadoun, Nabatiyeh District, three consecutive times,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This resulted in the martyrdom of three paramedics and the injury of six others, while one paramedic remains missing.”
Donald Trump’s counter blockade of the strait of Hormuz has “reversed” a gradual increase in ships getting through the choke point since the US launched its war with Iran in late February.
Data from AXSMarine said that an average of five vessels per day crossed in most of March rising to 10 at the end of the month and into early April “before any ceasefire was announced, suggesting traffic was already beginning to recover”.
“The early-April ceasefire added modest momentum, with crossings peaking at 17 on 12 April. However, within 24 hours of the counter-blockade enforcement, daily crossings fell back to single digits.
“As of 15 April, 949 merchant vessels are tracked west of Hormuz inside the Gulf, with 307 operating without Automatic identity signals (AIS). This puts the AIS-dark rate at 32%, more than double the pre-conflict baseline of 17%” it said in its latest report on strait traffic.
Diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional countries could produce a ceasefire in Lebanon “soon,” senior Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi told Reuters on Wednesday, saying Tehran had used its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.
“The Iranians are exercising high pressure against the Americans and they have put their conditions that the Americans should include Lebanon in the ceasefire. If they don’t do it, they are going to continue their blockade of Hormuz. It’s the economic card,” Moussawi said.
“The Iranians have opened up to several regional and international parties to achieve this goal,” he said.
Moussawi declined to comment on whether the group would abide by such a ceasefire.
Iranian state TV said Tehran will welcome a Pakistani delegation led by army chief Asim Munir on Wednesday, after the Islamic republic confirmed that exchanges with the US had continued via Pakistan after failed talks in Islamabad to end the war.
State TV reported that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will welcome the delegation, which will bring a new message from Washington following the negotiations in the Pakistani capital over the weekend.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet will convene on Wednesday at 8pm to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, a senior Israeli official has said.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has said that a high-ranking Pakistani delegation will visit Tehran today to follow up on talks with the US in Islamabad.
“During this visit, the views of both sides are likely to be discussed in detail,” Baghaei said.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry refused to comment on the delegation details and visit.
Pakistani sources said that senior intelligence and military officials are part of the delegation. However, Pakistan’s military media wing has yet to comment on it.
Baghaei also said that several messages with the US through Pakistan have been exchanged since the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran after the Islamabad talks.
“Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan,” Baghaei said in his press briefing.
One-week ceasefire in Lebanon to begin tonight, according to pro-Hezbollah media
The pro-Hezbollah outlet al-Mayadeen, citing an Iranian official, has reported that a one-week ceasefire will take effect in Lebanon starting tonight.
The move comes after pressure from Iran, according to the official. The truce will coincide with the final week of the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Israel’s Channel 12 news, however, reported that Israel has not yet decided on the issue, according to its sources. A senior Israeli official claimed the idea of declaring a week-long ceasefire in Lebanon was raised by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Channel 12 reported that the Israeli cabinet will convene tonight to discuss the matter, but noted that some ministers “are pressing for the exact opposite – to resume the attacks in Beirut and beyond the Litani [river]”.
Finance ministers from more than 10 countries, including the UK, have called for a “swift and lasting” end to the US-Iran war.
In a joint statement issued by the UK Treasury, the ministers said the US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks have caused “unacceptable loss of life and significant disruption to the global economy and financial markets”.
While they welcomed the ceasefire, they said the impacts of the war on “growth, inflation and markets will persist” even if the conflict is resolved.
The statement said: “We call for a swift and lasting negotiated resolution to the conflict, and a return to free and safe transit through the strait of Hormuz, that mitigates impacts on growth, energy prices and living standards, in particular for the poorest and most vulnerable.”
The statement was signed by finance ministers from the UK, Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Poland and New Zealand.
Keir Starmer said he was “not going to yield” to pressure from Donald Trump after the US president threatened to change the terms of a trade deal with the UK over Britain’s refusal to join the war.
“My position on the Iran war has been clear from the start. We’re not going to get dragged into this war. It is not our war,” the UK prime minister said.
“I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.”
You can follow our UK politics blog to get the latest updates on this story:
Updated
Iran’s foreign ministry has said that Tehran’s right to enrich uranium was “indisputable” although the level of enrichment is “negotiable”.
In a weekly press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy could not be “taken away under pressure or through war”.
“Regarding the level and type of enrichment, we have always stated that this issue is negotiable. We have emphasised that Iran should be able to continue enrichment in accordance with its needs,” he added.
Updated
The United States has not formally agreed to the extension of its ceasefire with Iran, a senior official said on Wednesday.
“There is continued engagement between the US and Iran to reach a deal,” a senior US official told Reuters.
Updated
Trump says China is happy he is permanently opening strait of Hormuz
US president Donald Trump said that China and the United States are working together and that Beijing is happy that he is opening the strait of Hormuz.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He added:
President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!!
Summary of developments so far
Donald Trump said the war was “close to over” as he hinted at another round of peace talks in Pakistan in the coming days. Speaking to Fox News, the US president said the conflict was near its end. “I think it’s close to over, yeah, I mean I view it as very close to over.”
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, suggesting any US-Iran talks will not happen soon.
Iran has threatened shipping beyond the strait of Hormuz if the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. The Iranian military said it would block trade through the Red Sea, along with the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.
Trump said he exchanged letters with Chinese president Xi Jinping urging him not to supply weapons to Iran. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Xi “essentially” told him that China was “not doing that”.
Trump said he believed gas prices will be “much lower” before the midterm elections. “Gasoline is coming down very soon and very big,” he told Fox News.
The US president levelled more criticism at the UK, telling Sky News that he had given Britain a “good trade deal” but warned that the deal could “always be changed”.
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his country is not seeking war but dialogue, as he warned any attempt by the US to impose its will or force Tehran to surrender “is doomed to failure”.
The Israeli military has continued its strikes on southern Lebanon, as it issued another order forcing people to flee their homes south of the Zahrani river.
Iran threatens shipping in Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and Red Sea if US naval blockade continues
The operational headquarters of the Iranian armed forces has warned that it would threaten shipping beyond the strait of Hormuz if the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues.
Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said if the blockade “creates insecurity for Iran’s merchant and oil tanker vessels”, then Tehran would consider it a breach of the ceasefire.
In that case, the Iranian armed forces “will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman or the Red Sea”, he said in a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim agency.
Donald Trump has suggested that another round of peace talks “could be happening over the next two days” in Pakistan.
But in Islamabad there is little sign of that, writes Shah Meer Baloch, and in fact the prime minister and head of the army are away on a foreign trip:
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by a high-level delegation, including army chief Asim Munir, departed for a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, leaving the chances of Iran-US second round of talks on Thursday or Friday in Islamabad dim.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said that Sharif was undertaking an official visit to the three countries to discuss ending the war from 15 to 18 April.
The development makes it very difficult for Iran and US talks to be held on Thursday, official sources said.
Iranian and Pakistani sources said that the talks would take place soon but there was very little hope of them being held in a day or two. The sources did not confirm any dates or venues although the Iranian sources said that they preferred the talks to held in Islamabad.
“We don’t have confirmation about the venue of talks yet. Islamabad is one of the venues under discussion so far,” said one official Iranian source.
Trump said he exchanged letters with Xi about Iran weapons
Donald Trump said he wrote a letter to Chinese president Xi Jinping telling him not to supply weapons to Iran.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he had heard and seen reports “all over the place” that Beijing was sending weapons to Tehran.
“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that. And he wrote me a letter saying that essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said, adding that Xi was “somebody I get along with very well”.
Gas prices 'coming down' and will be 'much lower' before midterms, says Trump
Donald Trump’s interview with Fox News is being broadcast, in which he is being asked about the Iran war and its impact on the US economy.
The US president said the war would slow economic growth, saying: “There’s going to be a hit, but it’s going to recover.”
But he added that gas prices are “coming down very soon and very big”, saying he believed they will be “much lower” before the midterm elections.
Updated
US to send thousands more soldiers to Middle East to pressure Iran into deal - report
The US is reportedly sending thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East in an attempt to pressure Iran into a deal to end the war, according to the Washington Post.
Citing US officials, the newspaper reported that about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush and several other warships could move into the region, while 4,200 others could join them towards the end of the month. The move would coincide with the two-week ceasefire ending on 22 April.
The Pentagon is also considering additional strikes against Iran or ground operations on Iranian soil, according to the officials, including missions to extract Iranian nuclear material, land marines on coastal areas to protect the strait of Hormuz and seize Kharg Island, a small Iranian outpost used as the country’s main oil export terminal.
The US has not publicly commented on the report.
Iran president says Tehran is 'seeking dialogue, not war'
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his country is not seeking war but dialogue, as he warned any attempt by the US to impose its will or force Tehran to surrender “is doomed to failure”.
In comments carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), he said:
Iran is not seeking war or instability and has always emphasised dialogue and constructive engagement with various countries. However, any attempt to impose one’s will or force the country to surrender is doomed to failure, and the Iranian nation will never accept such an approach.
China said it welcomes “all efforts conducive to a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities” following reports that a second round of negotiations could take place in Pakistan.
Speaking at a press briefing today, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, praised Pakistan for its “role in facilitating a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran and playing a fair and balanced mediating role”.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Iran has an “inalienable right” to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.
Whether Iran, in its negotiations with the US, chooses to “pause or insist on reserving this right”, Russia will “support any approach based on the principle of the universality of the right to enrichment”, Lavrov said at a press conference after an official visit to China, according to the Russian state-owned Tass news agency.
The Israeli military has issued another order forcing people to flee their homes south of the Zahrani river in southern Lebanon.
“The airstrikes are ongoing as the Israel Defense Forces operate with significant force in the area,” said Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic language spokesperson.
The UN said Israel has issued warnings and displacement orders covering approximately 14% of Lebanon, including the whole region south of the Zahrani river, most of Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of the Bekaa region. They affect more than 100 towns and villages and have caused the displacement of more than a million people.
The Israeli military has continued its strikes on southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah said it launched rockets at several areas in northern Israel.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the southern Lebanese town of Ansariyah, while civil defence teams and paramedics recovered four bodies after an Israeli raid in the Qadmus area.
The news agency also reported two people were killed in drone strikes on two vehicles on the Tyre-Beirut coastal highway, near the towns of Saadiyat and Jiyeh south of the Lebanese capital. The strikes were reportedly the closest to Beirut in a week, after a series of Israel attacks on the Lebanese capital on 8 April killed more than 350 people.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it targeted several areas in northern Israel with rocket barrages this morning, including Metula, Kfar Giladi and Kiryat Shmona, according to reports by the Hezbollah-owned al-Manar TV.
The attacks come hours after Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to the US held their first direct talks in decades in Washington. They agreed to hold further direct negotiations, although Hezbollah has strongly rejected the talks.
Trump says Iran war is 'close to over'
The Sky News interview is one of several Donald Trump has given in the past 24 hours, in which he has indicated the war with Iran may be nearing an end.
When asked by Sky whether a deal could happen before King Charles visits the US at the end of the month, Trump said: “It’s possible. Very possible. They’re beaten up pretty bad.”
In an interview with Fox News, which is scheduled to air later this morning, the US president said the Iran war was “close to over, yeah, I mean I view it as very close to over”. In a short preview of the interview posted on social media last night, Trump said: “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them [Iran] 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished.
“We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”
The clip came hours after he told the New York Post that another round of peace talks “could be happening over the next two days” in Pakistan.
Trump has previously suggested that the war was ending. In his address to the nation on 1 April, Trump said the war was “nearing completion” and could end in “two or three weeks”.
Updated
Trump warns UK trade deal could 'always be changed'
Donald Trump said he had given the UK a “good trade deal” and warned that the deal could “always be changed”.
When asked by Sky News for his thoughts on the special relationship, Trump replied: “With who?”
After Sky clarified it meant with the UK, the US president replied: “It’s the relationship where: when we asked them for help, they were not there. When we needed them, they were not there. When we didn’t need them, they were not there. And they still aren’t there.”
He added: “It’s been better, but it’s sad. And we gave them a good trade deal, better than I had to, which can always be changed.”
Trump says strained US-UK relationship will not overshadow royal visit
Donald Trump said the “special relationship” between the US and UK was in a poor state but that it will not have impact on King Charle’s upcoming state visit to America.
In an interview with Sky News, the US president once again criticised Keir Starmer over his policies, particularly on energy and immigration, and reiterated his disappointment that the UK and other Nato allies had not joined his war against Iran when the US “needed them”.
Despite fraught relations between the UK and US, King Charles will go ahead with a four-day trip to America later this month, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
Speaking hours after Buckingham Palace released details of the king’s US itinerary, Trump described Charles as a “great gentleman”.
“I’ve known him for a long time. He’s wonderful, wonderful person,” he said.
Trump insisted his strained relationship with Starmer would “not at all” overshadow the royal visit.
On the UK prime minister, Trump said Starmer had made a “tragic mistake in closing the North Sea oil”, as well as “a tragic mistake on immigration”.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said any US-Iran agreement to end the war must include “very detailed” measures to verify Tehran’s nuclear activities.
“Iran has a very ambitious, wide nuclear programme so all of that will require the presence of IAEA inspectors,” said director general Rafael Grossi.
“Otherwise, you will not have an agreement. You will have an illusion of an agreement.”
He added that any agreement on nuclear technology “requires very detailed verification mechanisms”.
Iran has not allowed the IAEA access to its nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the US during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential IAEA report circulated to member states and seen by the Associated Press.
The report stressed that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities” or the “size of Iran’s uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities”.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and has demanded recognition of its sovereign right to enrich uranium.
Trump continues feud with Pope Leo in Truth Social post
Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Pope Leo over the war in Iran, despite earlier attacks drawing swift criticism from Catholics and the international community.
In a Truth Social post, he said:
Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. AMERICA IS BACK!!!
He also took aim at Nato in a separate post, writing: “NATO wasn’t there for us, and they won’t be there for us in the future!”
Trump said he would not apologise for earlier attacks on Pope Leo, whom he called weak on crime and “terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post on Sunday. He did, however, delete a post of an AI image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, described Trump’s criticism of the pope as “unacceptable”.
South Korea has secured supplies of more than 270m barrels of crude oil via routes unaffected by the US blockade of the strait of Hormuz, a senior official has said.
“I hereby report to the nation that visits to four countries have secured the import of 273m barrels of crude oil by the end of this year,” Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, said.
The amount is sufficient for more than three months of South Korea’s oil needs, Kang said after he returned from a trip to Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart for an official visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, his office said, as Islamabad continues feverish rounds of diplomacy aimed at facilitating US-Iran peace talks.
Prime minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will depart from Islamabad for Jeddah today on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by a high-level delegation.”
Saudi Arabia is one of Washington’s regional allies to have come under attack from Iran since the outbreak of the war in February. Islamabad’s finance ministry announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia would provide Pakistan with $3bn to help bolster the country’s foreign reserves.
Sharif will also travel to Qatar and Turkey.
In Turkey, Sharif is expected to participate in the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum and hold meetings with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other world leaders.
Are non-Iranian vessels transiting through the strait of Hormuz?
America’s blockade of Iranian ports is designed to choke off Iran’s oil revenues and force the regime back to the negotiating table – but it could have the added effect of removing almost two millions barrels of oil a day from the world market, further tightening global supply.
Data shows that Iran exported an average of 1.84m barrels per day in March, despite the ongoing war. But exports from Gulf countries that rely on the strait of Hormuz to get their oil to market have been severely curtailed by Iran’s defacto blockade of the strait since early March.
The US military appears to be seeking to establish secure passage for non-Iranian ships in order to restart the flow of oil through the strait – and White House officials have briefed some US media that more than 20 vessels not linked to Iran have transited through the waterway since the blockade began.
But experts and analysts who track shipping movements have questioned the accuracy of those claims.
Maritime data company Kpler said “traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below typical levels” and noted just six vessels crossed through the strait on Monday, when the blockade began.
Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian and an associate professor at Campbell University in North Carolina, said “the Trump Administration talks a lot about ships coming through the Strait but there is no indication yet.”
Kpler has said confidence among shipowners remains weak, with uncertainty weighing on “transit decisions.”
For now, the operating environment remains high risk, limiting any meaningful recovery in flows.”
Experts have said that despite the presence of the US navy, many shipping companies will be wary of entering or leaving the strait out of fear of attacks from Iran. German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has said it will not resume transiting the strait for now as the situation remains tense.
At a Turning Points USA event in Georgia on Tuesday, US vice-president JD Vance faced heckles from an audience member – who appeared to be criticising the Trump administration for its stance on Gaza.
JD Vance has said Iran will “thrive” if it commits to not having a nuclear weapon. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, the US vice-president said Donald Trump “doesn’t want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain.”
We’re going to make it economically prosperous, and we’re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven’t been in my entire life.”
Vance – who took part in weekend negotiations with Iran in Pakistan - said there was a lot of mistrust between Washington and Tehran that cannot be resolved overnight, but that Iranian negotiators wanted to make a deal and that he felt “very good about where we are.”
Talks to end the Iran war could resume in Pakistan over the next two days, Trump said on Tuesday, after the collapse of weekend negotiations prompted Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. The fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran still has a week to run.
Trump: 'I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead'
Donald Trump has made further hints that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan, telling an ABC reporter that he did not think it would be necessary to extend the two-week ceasefire that ends on 21 April.
“I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” Trump told reporter Jonathan Karl.
It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild …They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals.”
The signs of diplomatic engagement helped calm oil markets, pressing benchmark prices down for a second day on Wednesday. Asian stocks rose while the safe-haven dollar stabilised after falling for a seventh straight session overnight.
Summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.
The US military has said American forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea through a blockade.
After talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without a breakthrough, Donald Trump declared a naval blockade on ships using Iranian ports in the Gulf in an effort to increase pressure on the country’s economy, and as a counter to Iran’s near-total closure of the strait of Hormuz to ships using other Gulf ports.
The blockade has created further uncertainty for shippers, oil companies and war risk insurers.
On Wednesday morning, US central command (Centcom) said US forces had “achieved maritime superiority in the Middle East”.
An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over the next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington on Tuesday were a “historic opportunity”. He said that while every complexity would not be resolved immediately, he hoped the parties would begin to move forward.
Lebanon’s president expressed hope that direct talks would lead to an end to his country’s “suffering” after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month. “I hope that the meeting in Washington... will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular,” president Joseph Aoun said in a statement, adding that “stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands”.
Lebanon’s top envoy to the US said the high-level diplomatic engagement between her country and Israel was “constructive,” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants that has displaced thousands of Lebanese. After participating in Tuesday’s talks with Rubio and Israel’s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad said she had “underscored the need to preserve our territorial integrity and state sovereignty”.
The US will not renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week officials told Reuters, as the US imposes a blockade on shipments from Iranian ports.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday focused on efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said. A spokesperson said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”
Trump criticised Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, a political ally, in an interview published on Tuesday for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey’s top diplomat this week for talks on regional matters, a ministry source told AFP on Tuesday. “This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.
Hezbollah said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns “with simultaneous rocket salvos” at 6.15pm.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said the underlying US economy remains strong and that growth could still exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war and said any further escalation in the conflict could trigger a global recession. Bessent however cast cuts in global growth forecasts and higher inflation projections by the IMF and World Bank as an overreaction.
