DIRECT. War in the Middle East: China calls for a lasting ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible"

According to the Lebanese news agency NNA, the Israeli army carried out strikes in the town of Mansouri, located a few kilometers south of Tire and around fifteen kilometers from the Israeli border.

The same source assures that there would be several injured. Earlier, the IDF struck several buildings in Tire after ordering the evacuation of the city.

After the announcement of an agreement to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon by 45 days, the Lebanese delegation welcomed a “result” which “offers critical breathing space for our citizens, strengthens state institutions and advances a political path towards lasting stability”.

The delegation also stated that its objective is “to transform the current momentum of the ceasefire into a comprehensive and lasting agreement that protects the dignity, security and future of the Lebanese people.”

It thus calls for the “restoration of its sovereignty”, the “return of the displaced and the reconstruction” of the territory, the “release of prisoners of war and the recovery of the remains” as well as the establishment of “an independent truce mechanism (…) supported by the United States”.

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed three rescue workers from the Islamic Health Committee, affiliated with pro-Iranian Hezbollah, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

In a press release, the ministry estimated that the strike had “directly targeted” the center of the Committee in Harouf. A fourth member was seriously injured.

A few hours earlier, the Israeli army had issued an evacuation order to residents of Tyre, in the south of the country, after fighting against Hezbollah in the afternoon.

In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam estimated that “any real rescue of Lebanon is impossible today without a clear return to the logic of a sovereign state in its decisions”, assuring that he wants a “state with effective institutions”.

“The State can only exist with a single national decision, that of its constitutional institutions, a single weapon, that of its national army, and a single law,” he also declared.

He also said that Lebanon has “enough of absurd adventures and irresponsible wars in the service of foreign projects and interests, the most recent of which was a war that we did not choose but which was imposed on us, and which led to Israel to occupy 68 towns, villages and sites”.

The spokesperson for the US State Department, Tommy Pigott, announced an extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon for a period of 45 days after two days of “very productive” negotiations carried out under the supervision of the United States.

New negotiations are to take place on May 29 on the “security” level, as well as on June 2 and 3 on the “political” side.

“We hope that these discussions will promote lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the establishment of genuine security along their common border,” Tommy Pigott said on his X account.

The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, relayed at the start of the evening an evacuation order from the Israeli army calling on the inhabitants of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, to evacuate their homes.

“In light of the terrorist party Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the defense forces are forced to act against it forcefully,” he said through his X account.

The IDF representative published a map showing a red zone from which residents must stay away “for a distance of at least 300 meters.”

In a statement, the Lebanese armed group said it had carried out a series of attacks against Israeli forces located in southern Lebanon in recent hours, using drones, rockets and artillery.

“The Islamic Resistance targeted an Israeli enemy force positioned (…) in the town of Hula, with a squadron of attack drones,” Hezbollah said.

The text, broadcast by the Iranian Tasnim news agency, also claims an attack on the headquarters of the 300th Brigade of the Israeli army using two drones and another targeting a gathering of Israeli vehicles and soldiers in Bint Jbeil, with a barrage of rockets and artillery shells.

During an intervention at the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi, the United Arab Emirates condemned Iran’s “repeated and unjustified terrorist attacks” since the start of the conflict on February 28.

“The UAE air defense intercepted around 3,000 attacks involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones that deliberately and directly targeted civilian installations and critical infrastructure, airports and residential areas,” the minister said Emirati State Secretary Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.

The latter also stressed that these attacks constituted a violation of international law as well as a “threat to international peace and security”, according to comments reported by the WAM news agency.

Finally, he reaffirmed that the United Arab Emirates holds Iran fully responsible for these terrorist attacks and their repercussions and that the country reserves the full and legitimate right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The IDF denounced a “new violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah” after intercepting “several hostile aircraft which had been launched (…) where the forces of the Israeli army are operating in southern Lebanon”, he said. was announced on his X account in Persian.

“Over the past 24 hours, the terrorist organization Hezbollah has launched hostile aircraft, mortar shells and kamikaze aircraft” near Israeli soldiers.

In a press release, the IDF spokesperson assures that the armed forces carried out attacks against more than “440 targets” which made it possible to “neutralize more than 220 Hezbollah terrorists in South Lebanon”.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who presents his feature film Parallel stories in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, denounced the civilian deaths caused by Israeli-American bombings in Iran and the “massacre” of demonstrators by the Islamic Republic in January.

He deplored “the death of many innocent people, children, civilians who died during the war, during the attack on Iran.”

“And before this war, that was the death of many demonstrators, people who had taken to the streets to protest, who were just as innocent and who were massacred,” he added.

According to the author of A Separation et The Customer“these two events are extremely painful and will never be forgotten.” “I cannot, without any justification, accept the fact that life is taken away from a human being, whether it is a war, whether it is executions or whether it is the massacre of demonstrators,” he insisted.

Through its Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, China says it believes in a diplomatic solution allowing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, consisting of “the establishment of a permanent ceasefire” between Iran and the United States.

He also assured that “force cannot solve problems” and that “dialogue is the only way forward”, in a statement relayed by the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

“The negotiations will not be concluded overnight, but once the door to dialogue has been opened, it should no longer be closed,” he added.

The head of Chinese diplomacy also recalled the role of his country which “worked tirelessly to promote peace talks (…) to promote a rapid end to the fighting and the restoration of peace in the Middle East”.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, believes that the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are a “unique opportunity” to end the war, at a time when Israeli strikes are killing an “unacceptable” number of civilians.

“Diplomatic efforts offer a unique opportunity to end the violence,” he said in a statement, expressing hope that “ongoing negotiations will pave the way for a political solution.”

“Air strikes and demolitions continue every day”, causing “an unacceptable toll of civilian victims, in addition to the damage caused to civilian infrastructure”, he adds.

Ella Waweya, one of the spokespersons for the Israeli army, indicates that the “air defense intercepted a rocket fired in the direction of the area where Israeli army forces operate in southern Lebanon”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicates, on X, that he had a telephone exchange with Donald Trump.

“We agree: Iran must come to the negotiating table now. It must reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” he adds.

Abu Dhabi authorities say the United Arab Emirates will accelerate construction of a new oil pipeline, as Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts Gulf exports.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the state-owned oil company Adnoc to “accelerate the delivery of the project”, which is scheduled for completion in 2027, according to the press service.

Asked about the Iranian proposal sent to the United States to end the conflict, Donald Trump indicated that he did not like it.

“I read it, I didn’t like the first sentence and I threw the rest away. An unacceptable sentence,” he explains.

“The level of guarantees given is not there,” adds the President of the United States.

Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, indicates that he “received messages” from the United States, ensuring that the country was ready to continue negotiations.

“We have again received messages from the Americans indicating that they are prepared to continue discussions and maintain contacts,” he told the press from the Indian capital, where he has been participating since the day before in a meeting of the Brics, a diplomatic bloc of ten non-Western states.

The President of the United States Donald Trump indicates, from his plane, that Xi Jinping is “firmly convinced” that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.

“He (Xi Jinping) is firmly convinced that they (the Iranians) should not possess nuclear weapons and he wants them to reopen the strait,” he told journalists, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

Debris from a cargo ship operated by a South Korean shipowner and damaged during an attack in the Strait of Hormuz arrived today in South Korea for analysis, announced the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ship arrived in Dubai last week, and today its debris “arrived in South Korea by air following consultations with the government of the United Arab Emirates”, says the Ministry of Affairs foreigners from Seoul in a press release. The debris “must be the subject of detailed analyzes by a specialized organization,” he adds.

Abbas Araghchi tells New Delhi that he is open to any support, including from Beijing, to help resolve the war.

“We appreciate any country that can help, especially China,” he said.

“We have very good relations with China, we are strategic partners and we know that (the) Chinese have good intentions. Any initiative on their part likely to support diplomacy would therefore be welcome for the Islamic Republic.”

In his press conference given in India, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared: “Iran has never sought to acquire the bomb [nucléaire]we proved this by signing the agreement in 2015.”

“This is not our national policy: we have a peaceful nuclear program and we have always been prepared to show that this program is peaceful,” he assures.

During a press conference in India, Abbas Araghtchi, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he hoped that “wisdom and diplomacy will take over”.

“We are choosing the path of diplomacy to find a solution, to negotiate. There is no solution if it is not negotiated, that’s a fact,” he insisted.

At a press conference, Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, declared that the Iranian government wants “the Strait of Hormuz to be open.”

“The strait is open, all ships can pass, except those belonging to nations that are at war with Iran,” he continued.

He says ships wishing to pass through the strait must “coordinate with our military authorities, due to the presence of obstacles and mines.” “We will guide them, as we have done for many Indian vessels,” assures the minister.

The Israeli army announces that it has carried out air strikes on “Hezbollah infrastructure” in the region of Tire, on the southwest coast of Lebanon, several hours after the order to evacuate five villages and neighborhoods.

In a statement published on Telegram, the Israeli army reported that sirens sounded in several regions of northern Israel near the Lebanese border, such as the Even Menachem sector, in the northeast of the country.

After these sirens, “several explosive drones fell on Israeli territory”, continues the press release, which specifies that “no injuries were reported”.

She denounces “a new violation” of the ceasefire agreement by Hezbollah.

Two drones targeted the headquarters of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group located north of Erbil, Iraq, security sources told Reuters.

Alice Rufo, Minister for the Armed Forces, tells BFMTV that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will soon arrive at the Strait of Hormuz.

It “has advanced towards the Arabian Sea, it is in the area, but not in the Strait of Hormuz”, she says.

“France’s position is to offer the possibility of resuming freedom of maritime movement in the strait”, without adopting “offensive” means, but rather a “defensive” posture and in compliance with international law”, she summarizes.

Lebanon’s National Information Agency reports “a new night and morning military escalation” in southern Lebanon, “marked by intensive air raids, artillery fire and violent fighting at the border, while, at the same time, Israeli drones continue to fly over Beirut and its suburbs.”

The news agency adds that in addition, Hezbollah “claimed a series of operations and claimed to have targeted Israeli planes and drones in the skies over southern Lebanon.”

BFMTV went to a drone manufacturing workshop near Toulouse. This company, created in 2011, went from 80% of sales of drones intended for civilian use to 80% for defense in five years, influenced by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Its turnover jumped from 10 to 50 million euros.

The Israeli Air Force announced on This base, which was located in the Zabadine region, in southern Lebanon, was destroyed during the night, she adds.

“In addition to the rocket launcher, several buildings used by the terrorist organization for military purposes and to plan attacks against Israeli army forces and citizens of Israel were struck,” the message concludes.

Guest on BFMTV-RMC, Jean-Philippe Tanguy looks back on the surge in prices at the pump since the start of the war in the Middle East and the aid promised by the government, but still not announced.

Asked about a potential bet by the government on a de-escalation after Donald Trump’s visit to China, the RN deputy for Somme asserts: “I think from the start that this government is only trying to gain time, a few hours here, a few weeks there, so as not to take the necessary measures.”

Donald Trump is on the plane returning to the United States after his visit to China. His stay was notably marked by his discussions on the war in the Middle East with Xi Jinping, during which the two heads of state notably called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Beijing also called for a complete ceasefire in the Middle East and said China would continue to play a “constructive role” in peace efforts.

In an interview given to the American channel Fox News yesterday, Donald Trump returns to his discussions on Iran with Xi Jinping, assuring that the latter “said that he will not provide military equipment” to Iran – “that’s a strong statement”, he believes.

The president also recalls the agreement between the two heads of state on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

According to a report from Unicef, established using information provided by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, 200 children died and 806 others were injured in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah between March 2 and May 13.

This corresponds to approximately 14 children killed or injured per day. “Children continue to be killed or injured when they should be going back to class, playing with their friends and trying to forget these months of fear and chaos,” said Édouard Beigbeder, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Almost a month ago, an agreement was reached to stop the fighting and put an end to the violence,” he added. “However, children continue to be victims of attacks which aggravate their trauma and will leave them with lifelong consequences.”

Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping “shares the same opinion” as him on the war in Iran. “We share the same point of view on Iran,” he assured from Beijing, in comments reported by Reuters.

“We want this to stop. We don’t want them to have nuclear weapons. We want the strait to remain open,” said the American president.

He added: “We want them to end the war because it’s a crazy situation there, a bit crazy. And it’s not good, it can’t happen.”

As regularly, the Israeli army issued a call to evacuate several communities in southern Lebanon, warning of upcoming strikes on these areas. Residents of five towns or villages were called to leave the area, according to the alert launched by an IDF spokesperson.

The Iranian Fars news agency announced yesterday, in the middle of a summit in Beijing between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, that Iranian forces have authorized the passage of more than 30 Chinese ships. According to the news agency, cited by Reuters, this transit was authorized after requests from China as part of an agreement on Iranian protocols for managing this waterway.

An Israeli soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army announced, bringing to 20 the number of deaths in its ranks in clashes with pro-Iranian Hezbollah since the beginning of March.

Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan, aged 20, “fell in combat in southern Lebanon”, the army wrote in a press release.

In total, 20 Israelis have been killed in Lebanon – 19 soldiers and one contract worker working for the army – since the start of the war on March 2. Over the same period, Israeli bombings left more than 2,800 dead in Lebanon, including at least 200 children, according to Beirut.

Discussions Thursday between Israel and Lebanon on a soon-to-expire ceasefire were “positive” and will continue as planned for a second day, a US official said.

“We had a full day of productive and positive discussions that lasted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (2 p.m. to 11 p.m. French time. We look forward to continuing tomorrow and hope to be able to say more at that time,” said this senior department official. of State.

The theoretical end of Teve in Lebanon is set for Sunday.

Donald Trump said yesterday that he would “feel better” if the United States recovered enriched uranium from Iran.

“I would rather have it. I would feel better if I had it,” the US president said in an interview with Fox News.

“What we could do is bomb again,” he added, referring to the 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.

Donald Trump has made sometimes contradictory statements regarding Iran’s stock of enriched uranium, sometimes saying that it was inaccessible because it was buried under rubble, and sometimes that it was enough to monitor the sites remotely.

The American president warned Iran that it needed to reach an agreement with the United States, two and a half months after the start of the war in the Middle East and while a ceasefire is in force.

“I’m not going to be much more patient (…) They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal but they might be crazy,” Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast yesterday by Fox News.

Beijing demanded a complete ceasefire in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, on the sidelines of the summit between Chinese Presidents Xi Jinping and American Donald Trump.

“Sea lanes must be reopened as soon as possible as requested by the international community (…) A comprehensive and lasting ceasefire must be established as soon as possible,” underlines a press release from Chinese Foreign Affairs.

Hezbollah said Thursday it had used a drone to attack Israeli soldiers in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon. This announcement comes as Israeli and Lebanese representatives resumed their discussions Thursday in Washington, a few days before the expiration of a ceasefire.

In a press release, the pro-Iranian movement indicated that it had “targeted a gathering of soldiers of the enemy Israeli army on the site of Rosh Hanikra” with a drone.

The Israeli army reported at midday that a Hezbollah drone attack had injured several civilians in northern Israel. The latter had been evacuated to a hospital.

The Galilee Medical Center said four people were injured “following an explosive drone strike on the parking lot of the Rosh Hanikra site.” One of them is in critical condition, the hospital added.

Hello and welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the 77th day of war in the Middle East. The summit in Beijing between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping continues, with new meetings expected between the two leaders.

Likewise, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon around the near end of their fragile ceasefire continue in Washington.