arrived in Tehran on Friday<\/a> as diplomatic efforts to broker a peace agreement between Iran and the United States intensified. Pakistani officials are reportedly playing a growing mediation role as regional powers push to prevent a wider conflict.<\/p>\nBut Iranian officials have tempered expectations for a quick breakthrough. Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said differences in the mediated talks between Tehran and Washington remain \u201cdeep and significant\u201d, signalling that major obstacles still stand in the way of a formal agreement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, outrage is growing over Israel\u2019s treatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists after organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said at least 15 detainees reported incidents of sexual assault, including rape, following their seizure by Israeli forces in international waters. The allegations have added to mounting international scrutiny over Israel\u2019s handling of pro-Palestinian activists and detainees.<\/p>\n
Here is what we know:<\/p>\n
In Iran
\nHormuz \u2018security service\u2019: Iran said fees and tolls linked to transit through the Strait of Hormuz are part of a \u201csecurity service\u201d provided to vessels crossing the strategic waterway, as Tehran rejects US threats of escalation and asserts control over the strait under what it calls a \u201cnew reality\u201d. Iranian officials say more than 30 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy over the past day.
\nWar halt \u2018essential\u2019: An Iranian official said stopping the war \u201con all fronts\u201d is a necessary condition for any future negotiations with the US, while stressing that no final agreement has yet been reached despite ongoing efforts to bridge differences between Tehran and Washington. The source added that a positive diplomatic atmosphere alone is \u201cnot enough\u201d to secure a deal.
\nWar diplomacy
\n\u2018Turning point\u2019: Iran said intensive diplomacy with the US has reached a \u201cdecisive\u201d stage, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei citing the presence of senior Pakistani officials in Tehran as part of efforts to secure a peace agreement. He said Iran would not publicly discuss details of nuclear negotiations after past talks \u201cled us into war\u201d, while reiterating Tehran\u2019s right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy.<\/p>\n
Sanctions not a priority: An Iranian official says ending the war, lifting the US blockade and ensuring stability in the Strait of Hormuz remain Tehran\u2019s main priorities in ongoing peace talks, while stressing that lifting sanctions on oil exports and releasing frozen assets are \u201cnot details for us\u201d. The official also praised Qatar\u2019s role in supporting Pakistani-led mediation efforts.<\/p>\n
UN push on Hormuz: France has drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing an international mission to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as a competing US-Bahraini proposal faces resistance from Russia and China, which have signalled they may veto the measure. The dispute over control of the strategic waterway has become a key obstacle in efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran amid rising oil prices and shipping disruptions.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
In the US
\nDiplomatic efforts continue: The US said \u201csome progress\u201d has been made in talks with Iran, though major differences remain over Tehran\u2019s enriched uranium programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan and Qatar step up mediation efforts in Tehran as Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns Washington still has \u201cother options\u201d if diplomacy fails.
\nDomestic pressure grows: Jason Campbell of the Middle East Institute said President Donald Trump is facing mounting pressure to de-escalate the war with Iran as oil prices rise and US midterm elections approach, despite Trump insisting the conflict \u201cwill be over soon\u201d. Campbell said Tehran believes it can withstand prolonged economic and security pressure, while \u201ctime is not a neutral factor\u201d for the White House.
\nIn Lebanon and Gaza
\nUS sanctions in Lebanon: Washington has imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon, including two military officers accused of links to Hezbollah, even as the US continues to mediate talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials.
\nDeadly strikes in Lebanon: Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, including several healthcare workers and paramedics, in the latest violence to test the fragile US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The strikes hit multiple locations in the Tyre district, including Deir Qanoun en-Nahr, Hannaouiyah and Nabatieh, as Israel says it will continue targeting Hezbollah despite the truce.<\/p>\n
Lebanon economy strained by war: Business owners in Lebanon said the wars involving Israel, Hezbollah and Iran are deepening the country\u2019s economic crisis, with rising fuel and supply costs driving inflation higher and hurting livelihoods. In Beirut, barber Mario Habib says soaring generator, petrol and product costs have reduced business, as economists warn Lebanon\u2019s fragile recovery could stall if the conflict continues.<\/p>\n
Hamas accuses Israel of seeking Palestinian displacement: Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said Israel\u2019s war on Gaza aims to \u201cend the Palestinian presence\u201d in the territory rather than merely occupy it, rejecting calls for Hamas to disarm and warning that Palestinians would continue to resist what he described as efforts to force them from their land.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrives in Tehran as mediation efforts to secure a US-Iran peace deal intensify.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455851,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,87,47,2899,43,16755,238,40,38,41,39,162198],"class_list":["post-455850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-iran","tag-middle-east","tag-military","tag-news","tag-oil-and-gas","tag-politics","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-us-israel-war-on-iran"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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