Iran Open To US Talks
Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said Tehran was open to talks with the United States but would not accept what he called policy “imposition” under threats.
“The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations… but we certainly do not accept imposition,” Ejei said in a video carried by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.
– Trump ‘Not Satisfied’ –
US President Donald Trump said he was unhappy with Iran’s new proposal for peace talks, which Iran’s state news agency IRNA said was delivered via mediator Pakistan.
“At this moment, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” he told reporters.
Oil Prices Fall
The price of oil slumped sharply after reports of Iran’s latest talks proposal, but both West Texas Intermediate and the other main US benchmark, Brent, clawed back some ground and were trading comfortably above the symbolic $100 a barrel mark.
Air Defences Activated
Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.
Air defences were active for about 20 minutes, and the city returned to a “normal situation”, according to the news agencies.
New US Sanctions
The US Treasury Department in Washington slapped new sanctions on three Iranian foreign currency exchange firms to try to stem the flow of Tehran’s “financial lifelines”.
US Aircraft Carrier Leaves Gulf
The USS Gerald R. Ford left the Middle East after taking part in operations against Iran, a US official said.
Two other aircraft carriers — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush — are among 20 US ships still in the region.
US Urges Israel, Lebanon Meeting
The US embassy in Lebanon called for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders. Trump has said he hopes President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could meet in the coming weeks.
Lebanon’s health ministry meanwhile said six people, including a woman and a child, were killed in two Israeli strikes on the southern town of Habboush on Friday.
– Refugee Aid Hit –
The UN refugee agency said the war had sent its freight rates soaring for delivering aid to refugees in the Middle East and Africa.
Costs had shot up nearly 18 percent as shipments have had to be rerouted because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and port congestion, UNHCR said, extending delivery times.
Fuel, Gas Increase In India
The state-run Indian Oil Corporation Limited said supply pressures from the war had forced it to raise the prices of commercial liquefied petroleum gas for cooking and jet fuel for international airlines.
India is heavily dependent on imported energy, including for 60 per cent of its LPG. The sharp hike is expected to hit restaurants that have already cut back their operations.
The post War In The Middle East: Latest Developments appeared first on Channels Television.
