War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington on May 14 and 15, Reuters reports, citing a US State Department official.

The United States has issued new Iran-related sanctions, Reuters reports citing a notice on the Treasury Department’s website.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received a telephone call, from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

“During their warm and cordial conversation, the two leaders held a productive exchange of views on the current regional situation. Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to facilitating ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region,” says a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

While recalling a recent visit to Doha on April 16, PM Shehbaz hailed his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Doha’s leadership, saying it was most helpful in forging a consensus for the peace efforts.

PM Shehbaz was assured by his Qatari counterpart that Doha would continue to support diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Pakistan to ensure the security and stability of the Middle East, the PMO says.

It adds that both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and coordination on all issues of mutual interest.

The United Arab Emirates will form a committee to document Iran’s attacks during the Middle East war to support legal action, after earlier calling for reparations, AFP reports citing state media.

Major landmarks, including Dubai’s luxury Palm development, as well as airports and energy facilities, were among the sites hit in Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the Gulf.

A new national committee has been tasked with “documenting and monitoring all incidents of attacks and military actions associated with the Iranian aggression”, the official WAM news agency says.

“The outcomes of the committee’s work will contribute to supporting the UAE’s legal efforts at both the national and international levels by preparing a comprehensive documentation file,” it adds.

Israeli forces are continuing to carry out operations in southern Lebanon with a raid targeting Wadi Zibqin in Tyre, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports according to Al Jazeera.

In Bint Jbeil, NNA reported that a civil defence team of the Islamic Health Authority in Majdal Selm was directly targeted by an Israeli warplane, causing injuries.

Assaults also targeted the towns of Jabal al-Batoum, Hadatha, al-Tayri and Kfar, and the army bombed Al-Bayada, south of Tyre.

Hezbollah has issued a statement claiming it hit an Israeli Merkava tank in the town of Biyyada, in southern Lebanon, achieving a “direct hit”, Al Jazeera reports.

In a separate statement, it says it also hit a D9 bulldozer in the town of Deir Siryan.

A Saudi source has rejected a US media report saying President Donald Trump announced a pause in an American military operation to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz following an intervention by Riyadh, AFP reports.

According to a report from US network NBC News, Trump’s u-turn came after Saudi Arabia — whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly talked directly to Trump — refused to allow US forces to use its airspace and bases for the Hormuz operation.

“This isn’t true,” a source close to the Saudi government tells AFP. The United States still has regular access to Saudi bases and airspace, the source added.

The fallout of the Middle East war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have led to rising fuel and food prices and disrupted supply chains in some countries, such as Somalia, worsening an already dire hunger crisis, Al Jazeera reports.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the east African nation is facing one of the “most complex hunger crises in recent years” as drought, conflict and limited humanitarian assistance have impacted the country.

In its latest findings, the number of people experiencing “crisis-level hunger or worse has nearly doubled in a year, to 6.5 million,” including 2 million people in “emergency hunger, the second highest level of food insecurity”.

“Entire families have had to once again make the toughest choices,” Hameed Nuru, WFP country director in Somalia, tells Al Jazeera.

“Sell the little assets they had, reduce or completely cut meals, and leave everything behind to find help – but this time there’s no help available,” Nuru adds.

Wall Street stocks hold steady near records as oil prices retreat on hopes for a US-Iran agreement to end the war in the Middle East, AFP reports.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished at records on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran was “very possible,” but threatened more bombing if negotiations collapse.

About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent at 49,958.88.

The broad-based S&P 500 was flat at 7,363.47, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite index edged up 0.1pc to 25,856.51.

Among individual companies, Whirlpool fell 12.4pc as it reported an $85 million loss on lower sales, saying that the Iran war “resulted in recession-level industry decline in the US as consumer confidence collapsed in late February and March”.

Bahrain’s parliament has expelled three lawmakers who opposed a royal decree on citizenship cases, after dozens were stripped of nationality for allegedly backing Iran during the Middle East war, AFP reports.

The Council of Representatives has voted unanimously to expel Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdouh al-Saleh and Mahdi al-Showaikh, who were not present for the vote, according to video footage of the session.

The kingdom was hard-hit by Iranian attacks in March. Last month, the kingdom stripped 69 people of citizenship for expressing support for Tehran.

The three lawmakers refused to vote for a royal decree abolishing the right of appeal against government decisions on nationality.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had earlier lashed out at “some members of the legislative authority who sided with traitors”, the official Bahrain News Agency says, without naming them.

Their options were “either to issue a clear apology to the people of Bahrain that restores trust, or to join those they chose to align with, who have left the country or been expelled”, the king is quoted as having said.

No major commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours as of 0900 GMT, amid rising security risks and tighter Iranian controls over one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, according to ship tracking data compiled by Anadolu.

Commercial traffic through the waterway has sharply declined in recent weeks, with many operators rerouting ships or avoiding the Gulf due to security concerns, signal jamming and uncertainty over passage conditions.

The latest stoppage came after Beijing-based news outlet Caixin reported that a Chinese-owned large oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, in the first such incident involving a Chinese vessel since the war began.

The incident reportedly occurred off the United Arab Emirates’ Al Jeer port and caused a fire on the ship’s deck.

Read more here.

A Lebanese official tells Al Jazeera that there is a US effort to de-escalate Israeli actions in the country amid ongoing negotiations that will move on to their second phase in Washington next week.

According to the official, next week’s talks will address security and political issues, including the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, the release of prisoners, and reconstruction.

Yesterday’s attack on Beirut’s southern suburb, which targeted a commander from Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, the official says, was a message from Israel to disrupt negotiations.

“Lebanon is not heading towards signing a peace agreement, but rather a path whose maximum limit is the restoration of rights in exchange for a non-aggression pact. Iran’s efforts to support Lebanon’s position are appreciated if they lead to a ceasefire,” they add.

“Any Iranian effort to achieve a ceasefire must go through Lebanese institutions and contribute to the implementation of the decision to restrict weapons.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed responsibility for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut a day prior, adding that “no terrorist is immune” from Israeli strikes, AFP reports.

“Last night, we eliminated, in the heart of Beirut, the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan force,” Netanyahu claims in a video released by his office. “I say to our enemies in the clearest possible terms: no terrorist is immune. Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions. “

US natural gas futures have eased to a one-week low after news that the US and Iran were nearing a temporary agreement to end the Iran war, and on a drop in flows to US liquefied natural gas export plants during the spring maintenance season, Al Jazeera reports.

Front-month gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell by 3 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $2.70 per million British thermal units, putting the contract on track for its lowest close since April 29 for a second day in a row.

The Israeli army has carried out a series of bombings near the Biyyada village in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera’s correspondents on the ground report.

An Israeli air raid has also struck the town of Houche, also in southern Lebanon.

Global oil prices have fallen more than 5 per cent on optimism over talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, AFP reports.

International benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, shed 5.1pc to $96.06 a barrel.

The main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, lost 5.5pc to $89.87.

All ministries, government organisations, and executive agencies in Tehran province will operate at 100 per cent capacity starting on Saturday, the governor of Tehran says according to Al Jazeera.

“Educational activities in schools and universities will also be in accordance with the announcements of the Ministries of Education and Science, Research and Technology,” Mehr news agency cited Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamadian as saying.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commented on the killing of Ahmad Balut, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Unit, in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday, Al Jazeera reports citing The Times of Israel.

“He apparently read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. So he read — and that will no longer happen,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

“He believed he could continue directing attacks against our forces and our communities from his hidden terrorist headquarters in Beirut.”

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee has issued a statement saying the army killed 220 Hezbollah fighters since the mid-April “ceasefire” brokered by Washington between Israeli and Lebanese officials, according to Al Jazeera.

Over the past week, Israeli forces killed 85 Hezbollah members and hit more than 180 military facilities belonging to the group, according to the statement.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has ruled out lifting sanctions on Iran as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains obstructed by its armed forces, Al Jazeera reports.

“We ourselves have imposed significant sanctions on Iran. But it is out of the question that any sanction whatsoever be lifted as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked,” Barrot told French broadcaster RTL.

“It cannot be blocked, subjected to tolls, or used as leverage or blackmail.”

Iran’s ⁠President Masoud Pezeshkian said he ⁠met recently with Supreme ⁠Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, state media reports according to Al Jazeera.

The ⁠meeting was marked by a “humble ‌and deeply cordial” atmosphere, Pezeshkian was ‌reported ‌as saying.