France’s President Emmanuel Macron has urged for the commencement of diplomatic talks to avert a new war in the region. In his statement, Macron revealed that he had engaged in a phone conversation with the leaders of the United States and Israel, urging them to clear up misunderstandings. On the same day, Macron also spoke with Iran’s Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, advising him to take advantage of the current opportunity for a peaceful resolution, facilitated through negotiations. The French President emphasized the importance of upholding the ceasefire and ensuring that all parties, including Lebanon, adhere to it. Furthermore, Macron called for the swift re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz without any preconditions or additional fees.
Macron emphasized that the resumption of diplomatic talks between warring parties should be prioritized. France will be hosting a conference on Friday to discuss the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, no warring party will be participating in the conference. The extension of the ceasefire aims to provide additional time for negotiations. Meanwhile, neutral countries are engaged in technical discussions to find solutions for contentious issues.
A new, high-speed trade route connecting Europe to Gulf countries has been launched from Saudi Arabia’s New Port in the Red Sea. This development has made Saudi Arabia a significant trade hub. A joint statement has been released by the foreign ministers of the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Norway.
Following the announcement of a ceasefire, UN experts have condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. In occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities have demolished 13 Palestinian residential structures and agricultural installations. Iran has been under US sanctions for a long time and has successfully continued to export oil during the war, but experts believe that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could severely impact its economy. The Israeli media claims that the temporary ceasefire has been dismissed due to Hezbollah’s attacks. However, they emphasize that they will continue to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, which is not only beneficial to China but also to the entire world.
As per the 1973 American law, military operations must cease after 60 days if Congressional approval is not obtained. Secretary-General of the Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada has shown the map of current US aircraft and drone operations in Iraqi airspace and claimed that they can track the drones that are tracking them. A school shooting has been reported in southeastern Turkey’s province of Kahramanmaraş. Iranian authorities claim that the arrested individuals were involved in smuggling arms into Iran.
After the first phase of the ceasefire, several messages have been exchanged between the US and Iran via Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman discussed with US Vice President Kamala Harris efforts to reduce tensions in the region. A delegation led by Field Marshal has arrived in Tehran as part of mediation efforts. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Salmabad Khan has expressed disagreement with the statements made by Alima Khan.
