War in the Middle East: the latest developments

Here are the latest developments related to the war in the Middle East, as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States has held since April 8:

– Lebanese president refuses “direct contact” with Netanyahu Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has rejected “direct contact” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Lebanese head of state had previously emphasized the importance of a ceasefire with Israel before such negotiations.

– New Iranian call for ceasefire in Lebanon The President of the Iranian Parliament, a rising figure in the Islamic Republic, stated that a ceasefire in Lebanon is “just as important” as in Iran.

– Direct negotiations with Israel would be a “serious mistake,” says Hezbollah Direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel would be a “serious mistake,” according to Hezbollah deputy Hussein Hajj Hassan, urging Beirut to stop making “free concessions” to Americans and Israelis.

– Strategic bridge destroyed in Lebanon by Israelis A strategic bridge, Qasmiyeh, the last one between the Tyre region and Saada in southern Lebanon, was “completely destroyed” by Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the Lebanese official news agency. Hezbollah has claimed several attacks on military positions in northern Israel.

– Warning from Israel to Iran Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, warned that if Iran rejects an American request to give up “nuclear armament,” Israel will carry out “even more painful” strikes on new targets. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated that Israel and the US share identical objectives regarding Iran.

– US blockade of Iranian ports to continue indefinitely The US Defense Minister, Pete Hegseth, affirmed that the American blockade of Iranian ports will be maintained for as long as necessary. He also threatened that in case of Iran making the wrong choice, there will be a blockade and bombs targeting its electric and energy infrastructure.

– At least two tankers enter the Gulf Despite US blockades on Iranian ports since Monday, at least two tankers have entered the Gulf, apparently heading to Iran, as reported by maritime analysis company Kpler. The US military claims to have prevented ten ships from leaving Iranian shores within the first 48 hours of the blockade.

– Pakistani Prime Minister meets Qatari Amir Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator between Iran and the US, held talks with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on recent regional and international events, particularly in the Middle East.

– Pakistani army chief in Tehran Pakistan’s influential army chief, Asim Munir, met with the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as part of ongoing negotiations for the resumption of Iranian-American talks.

– Resilient Stock Exchanges Despite uncertainties about new US-Iran negotiations, stock market indices show strong upward trends, nearing records.

– Stable oil prices Oil prices remain relatively stable, with upward pressure due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade contained by optimism in the markets about a possible de-escalation between Iran and the US.

– UK prepares for possible food shortages The UK government is concerned about possible shortages of carbon dioxide (CO2), a byproduct of fertilizer production from natural gas, which could impact the food industry. Contingency measures are being prepared if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.

– Economists call for taxing exceptional profits of energy companies The international organization Icrict, co-chaired by Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz, advocates for a tax on exceptional profits of energy companies as an “effective” measure amid rising energy prices due to the Middle East conflict.