War in the Middle East: the latest developments

Here are the latest developments on Tuesday related to the war in the Middle East, where a fragile ceasefire came into effect on April 8th:

– Oil prices drop after a big rise: Oil prices are decreasing again on Tuesday morning in Asia, following a surge on Monday. By 03:10 GMT, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) barrel, the American market benchmark, was down 2.15% at $104.13. Meanwhile, the Brent barrel, the global market standard, was losing 1.26% at $113.

– Japan: first delivery of Russian oil since the start of the war: A shipment of Russian crude oil arrived in Japan on Monday, marking Moscow’s first delivery to the country since the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war.

– New press conference in Washington: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a new press conference on Tuesday morning in Washington regarding operations in the Middle East, alongside Army Chief of Staff General Dan Caine.

– Macron calls Iranian strikes on the UAE “unacceptable”: French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the Iranian strikes on Emirati civilian infrastructure as unjustified and unacceptable, reassuring the UAE of France’s support and calling for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and security guarantees for the region.

– Riyadh calls for continued mediation: Saudi Arabia warned against further military escalation in the Gulf and urged the continuation of mediation efforts between Iran and the US to achieve a political solution that avoids more tensions and instability in the region.

– Starmer condemns Iranian attacks: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the Iranian attacks on the UAE and called for an end to the escalation, emphasizing the need for Iran to engage in genuine negotiations to maintain the ceasefire in the Middle East and reach a long-term diplomatic solution.

– Berlin urges Tehran to stop holding the region hostage: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Iran for attacking the UAE and called on Tehran to return to negotiations and stop holding the region and the world hostage. He also demanded the end of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Context: – The content of the article provides updates on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, focusing on various reactions and developments related to recent events in the region involving countries like the US, Iran, UAE, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, UK, Germany, and Oman. Fact Check: – The article contains details about oil prices, deliveries, press conferences, condemnations, calls for mediation, and military actions relating to the conflict in the Middle East.