War in the Middle East: latest developments

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Seafarers' SOS -

The head of the UN maritime agency appealed for help for thousands of seafarers stranded in the Gulf by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Around 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships have been stranded since US-Israeli strikes on Iran started the Middle East war on February 28, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

- Germany defends EU-Israel deal -

Germany poured cold water on calls to suspend the EU's cooperation deal with Israel, despite rising anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

While Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal "inappropriate".  

- Hezbollah mass burials -

Hezbollah announced it will hold mass funerals in south Lebanon for 44 fighters killed during more than six weeks of war with Israel.

The Iran-backed group has not given the total number of its fighters killed since Israel launched a massive wave of airstrikes and a ground invasion in Lebanon last month.

- No Iranian departure -

Iranian state television said that no Iranian delegation had yet departed for talks in Pakistan with the United States, as the temporary ceasefire which paused the Middle East war was set to expire.

"So far, no delegation from Iran has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan; whether it is the main or subsidiary delegation; primary or secondary," state TV said, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise.

A source familiar with the US planning for the talks told AFP that an American delegation will head to Pakistan "soon" for a new round of peace negotiations.

- Israel pressure -

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country's campaign in Lebanon relied on both military and diplomatic pressure to disarm Iran-allied Hezbollah. 

"The overarching goal of the campaign in Lebanon is to disarm Hezbollah and remove the threat to the northern communities (of Israel), through a combination of military and diplomatic measures," Katz said.

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- Iran hangs man -

Iran executed a man convicted of helping set fire to a major mosque in Tehran and of collaborating with Israel and the United States during pre-war protests, the judiciary said.

"Amir Ali Mirjafari... one of the armed elements collaborating with the enemy who had attempted to set fire to the Gholhak Grand Mosque and was the leader of the Mossad network's anti-security activities in that area, was hanged this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported. 

- Oil dips, stocks rise -

Oil prices slid while stocks rose on lingering hopes for a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Benchmark Brent North Sea Crude was down 0.7 percent percent at $94.85 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell 1.3 percent to $88.49 a barrel at around 1000 GMT.

- Iranian ships slip blockade -

Shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd's List reported that more than 20 Iranian so-called "shadow vessels", had transited past the US blockade.

The channel in peacetime sees around 120 daily transits, according to the site. 

- Trump's 'difficult' uranium -

US President Donald Trump said Monday the United States obtaining uranium from Iran would be "long" and "difficult" in the aftermath of last year's US strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites.

"Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding: "Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process."

The US leader regularly uses the term "nuclear dust" to refer to Iran's stock of enriched uranium but he has also sometimes used it to refer to material left from US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

- US hosts Israel, Lebanon -

America's State Department will host new talks on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity, after a previous meeting saw the start of a tense ceasefire.

burs-sbk/rmb