Middle East crisis live: Trump insists Iran wants a deal despite initial rejection; China sees ‘glimmer of hope’ for talks | US-Israel war on Iran
China sees ‘silver ray’ for peace
China’s foreign minister said a “glimmer of hope” for peace had emerged due to moves to stop war in the Middle East, despite Tehran vowing to continue fighting.
Wang Yi He called for dialogue in separate meetings with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had signaled their willingness to return to the negotiating table.
Wang told the Egyptian foreign minister: “With both the United States and Iran signaling that they are willing to negotiate, a glimmer of hope for peace has emerged.” Badr AbdelattyAccording to a statement issued late Wednesday in Beijing and reported by Agence France-Presse.
The statement came hours ago from the Iranian Foreign Minister. Abbas Araghch“There have been no negotiations so far and I believe our stance is purely principled,” I said.
Talking about negotiations now means admitting defeat.
Donald Trump He insisted on Wednesday that Iran was participating in peace talks, suggesting Tehran’s denial was because Iranian negotiators feared being killed by their own side.
Wang told the Turkish foreign minister: Hakan FidanCalling that the rights and wrongs of the conflict in the Middle East are “clearly obvious”, the country was offered support in facilitating the resumption of negotiations.
Fidan said this month that Türkiye had engaged in “intensive” diplomatic efforts to end the war by talking to both Washington and Tehran.
Wang said:
Prolonging this war will only result in more casualties and unnecessary casualties, leading to a further spread of the conflict.
important events
The Israeli army announced that an Israeli soldier was seriously injured in a mortar attack on Israeli forces in Lebanon..
A post about X said (in translation):
While the warrior was evacuated to receive treatment in the hospital, his family was informed.
Israel has said it will seize parts of southern Lebanon to create what it calls a “defensive buffer” up to the Litani River, about 30 km (20 miles) from the border, and the army is engaged in ground combat with Hezbollah fighters south of the river.
The army slowly advances north despite fierce resistance; soldiers have been broadcasting videos in the previously disputed towns of Taybeh and Khiam.
Israel also continues to strike Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. Read this full report by William Christou in Beirut:
China sees ‘silver ray’ for peace
China’s foreign minister said a “glimmer of hope” for peace had emerged due to moves to stop war in the Middle East, despite Tehran vowing to continue fighting.
Wang Yi He called for dialogue in separate meetings with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had signaled their willingness to return to the negotiating table.
Wang told the Egyptian foreign minister: “With both the United States and Iran signaling that they are willing to negotiate, a glimmer of hope for peace has emerged.” Badr AbdelattyAccording to a statement issued late Wednesday in Beijing and reported by Agence France-Presse.
The statement came hours ago from the Iranian Foreign Minister. Abbas Araghch“There have been no negotiations so far and I believe our stance is purely principled,” I said.
Talking about negotiations now means admitting defeat.
Donald Trump He insisted on Wednesday that Iran was participating in peace talks, suggesting Tehran’s denial was because Iranian negotiators feared being killed by their own side.
Wang told the Turkish foreign minister: Hakan FidanCalling that the rights and wrongs of the conflict in the Middle East are “clearly obvious”, the country was offered support in facilitating the resumption of negotiations.
Fidan said this month that Türkiye had engaged in “intensive” diplomatic efforts to end the war by talking to both Washington and Tehran.
Wang said:
Prolonging this war will only result in more casualties and unnecessary casualties, leading to a further spread of the conflict.
Welcome summary
Hello and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and its consequences for the region, the world, and the global economy.
Donald Trump He insisted Iran was still interested in a deal after Tehran rejected a US ceasefire proposal, responded with a plan of its own and claimed it had no intention of negotiating.
Iranian state television quoted an unnamed official as saying that Tehran rejected the plan it received through Pakistan and “will end the war when it decides to do so and its conditions are met.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi He later said that the proposals “have been conveyed to the country’s senior officials” but that Iran “has no intention of negotiating for now.”
The US president later suggested that Tehran’s denial was because Iranian negotiators feared being killed by their own side. “Meanwhile, they’re negotiating and they want to make a deal so bad, but they’re afraid to say it because they think they’re going to get killed by their own people,” Trump said.
“They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” he said, before saying no one wants to lead Iran for fear of being assassinated by the United States.
The US military said late Wednesday that its forces had hit more than 10,000 targets so far in the Iran war, including 92% of Iran’s navy’s largest ships were destroyed. US Navy Admiral claims thousands more targets hit by Israeli forces Brad Cooper From US Central Command. “We have damaged or destroyed more than two-thirds of Iran’s missile, drone and naval production facilities and shipyards, and we are not done yet.”
In other developments:
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The Israeli army said on Thursday that it had carried out a series of attacks across Iran, including mainly in the central city of Isfahan.. He said Israeli forces had “completed a large-scale wave of attacks targeting the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in various regions of Iran.”
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Kuwait says it has arrested six people over allegations that Hezbollah was plotting to assassinate leaders in the Gulf state. The interior ministry said five of those arrested were Kuwaiti citizens. It was stated that 14 more members of the group fled the country: five Kuwaitis, five Kuwaitis whose citizenships were revoked, two Iranians and two Lebanese.
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Iran reported US 15-point plan, which Tehran initially rejected, was accepted but Araghchi later suggested it was still under investigation. “If a position needs to be taken, it will definitely be determined,” he said. It was previously reported that Tehran rejected the “excessive” demands in the proposal. Among the demands were the complete end to Iran’s nuclear program and strict limits on its missile arsenal.
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Meanwhile, the White House has warned that Trump is ready to “unleash hell” if Iran does not accept defeatand continued to insist that negotiations were continuing. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt Leavitt said the US president prefers a peaceful path but is ready to “strike”. [Iran] If necessary, they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before.”
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Benjamin Netanyahu announces that Israel will expand its occupation in southern Lebanonwith what he described as a “larger buffer zone” to push back the Hezbollah threat. Forces loyal to the Israeli prime minister also continued to bomb Beirut. Many in Lebanon fear that Israel’s plans could be a reflection of its previous long occupation of the south, which ended in 2000.
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Hezbollah leader Naim Qasim said negotiations with Israel under fire would mean “surrender” as the Iran-backed group launched new attacks on the country. Hezbollah said it launched missiles at military sites in central Israel where air raid sirens were blaring early Thursday, Agence France-Presse reported.
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Russia is close to completing phased shipments of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to Western intelligence reports This details Moscow’s efforts to keep its embattled partner fighting, the Financial Times reported.
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“The Gaza model should not be copied in Lebanon,” said UN secretary-general António Guterres. He also told the United States and Israel that it was “high time” to end the war and called on Iran to stop attacking its neighbors.
