Paris – Here are the latest events on Monday related to the war in the Middle East, as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States enters its sixth day.
Iran’s return to negotiations with the US is equal to Trump
American President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he didn’t care whether Iran returned to the negotiating table with the United States or not, following the failure of talks in Islamabad.
“I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, that’s fine with me,” said Mr. Trump to journalists at Andrews military base near Washington upon his return from a weekend in Florida.
Iran says it was “a hair’s breadth” away from a deal with the US in Islamabad
Iran and the United States were “a hair’s breadth” away from reaching a deal to end hostilities in their talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday, attributing the failure to American “maximalism.”
US military to impose a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday
The US military announced on Sunday that it would impose a blockade from Monday at 2:00 PM GMT on “vessels of all nationalities entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas,” due to the lack of an agreement to end the conflict.
However, it clarified that it would allow the passage of ships not bound for or heading to Iran through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global trade and oil supply, according to a statement by the US Central Command.
At least six dead in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
At least six people died on Sunday in new Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, including a Lebanese Red Cross paramedic.
The organization reported that its team was “directly targeted by an Israeli drone” while carrying out a humanitarian mission, and the Red Cross logo was visible.
Iranian navy calls American blockade threats “ridiculous”
“The threats by the President of the United States to implement a maritime blockade against Iran […] are entirely ridiculous and amusing,” said Iranian naval military chief Admiral Shahram Irani, asserting that his country’s naval forces were monitoring “all movements” by Americans in the region.
Lebanon seeks total Israeli withdrawal
Lebanon is working to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from its territory and to stop the war through negotiation, stated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam before a meeting scheduled on Tuesday in Washington between representatives of the two countries.
In southern Lebanon, Netanyahu assures that Israel has eliminated “the threat of invasion”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that the Israeli army had eliminated “the threat of an invasion” by Hezbollah, during his first visit to southern Lebanon since the fighting with the pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement began on March 2.
– Agence France-Presse
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