US President Donald Trump has indicated he will be “honoured” to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. “If I do meet him, I would be honored meeting him, but if we make a deal, maybe I’ll meet him. I’d be OK meeting him. I would be respectful.”
Trump has dropped out of an idea to take Iran’s enriched uranium from its nuclear facilities. It would have likely taken weeks of continuous engagement in a conflict and could have been a “Jimmy Carter” moment, as Trump calls it. Restraint in nuclear talks, as they continue.
A year after the nuclear sites were bombed, the UN nuclear watchdog submitted a report to its member states on Thursday demanding the Iranian government to explain the enriched uranium it produced. The IAEA signalled that Iran needs to promptly notify the agency of what happened to enriched uranium and allow “full inspections” of the plant.
On Thursday, Trump also criticized a vote in the House to restrict his war powers, which was happening during his “final negotiations” to conclude the conflict with Iran.
The region will never be calm until Israel withdraws from occupied areas in Lebanon, the Revolutionary Guards declared on Thursday, according to Reuters, quoting state media.
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President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning to Iran. He says any attack on American troops might restart military action. So, no hitting U.S. forces, or there could be retaliation.
A UN General Assembly committee on Palestinian rights blasted Israel for threatening to forcefully move the Khan al-Ahmar community. Located east of occupied East Jerusalem, this community faces yet another displacement. The committee called this “a deliberate and unlawful act of terror.” They added that Israel aims to reinforce its discriminatory system against Palestinians.
Asian stocks took a hit on Friday, following losses in US equity-index futures. Excitement for AI stocks had reached a high, pushing markets to new peaks this year, but that’s cooling off now. MSCI’s Asia-Pacific equity gauge dipped 1.3%. South Korea, a major marker for AI investments and top performer this year in the region, saw its markets dive by 4.4%. Things aren’t great on the tech front either; Nasdaq 100 futures sank 1.1%, showing three consecutive days of losses as investors shift away from those stocks.
Reuters says Oman halted crude oil loading at the main Mina Al Fahal terminal after an explosion near the single-buoy mooring berths. It happened between SBM 1 and SBM 2, and sources claim it was caused by a drone attack.
According to a BBC report, Naim Qassem, the leader of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, blasted recent negotiations as “futile” and “humiliating” for Lebanon. He added that they were rejected outright by many Lebanese people. This happened after Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement to extend their fragile ceasefire. They did this by setting up pilot security zones in Lebanon. As part of this deal, Hezbollah agreed not to operate in those zones or attack Israel.
Reuters reported that Oman has stopped loading crude oil at Mina Al Fahal after an explosion. It happened near the single-buoy mooring berths. Apparently, it was because of a drone attack, say unnamed sources. Reuters didn’t name them but added to the scoop on the incident.
Donald Trump in a latest interaction with the press said, “As soon as the Iran war is over, the US military will make a ‘brief stopover’ in Cuba on their way back.”
Oil prices steadied up after their initial dip this week. Optimism regarding US-Iran peace talks helped calm fears about a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Brent crude stayed near $95 a barrel, rebounding from a 2.8% fall on Thursday. WTI remained under $93. President Donald Trump claimed progress in US talks with Iran, even as Hezbollah shot down a US-backed ceasefire plan. WTI had risen over 6% for the week. All this happened due to ongoing uncertainty about negotiations that might renew oil shipments through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Two 20-year-old twin brothers, Hassan and Hossein Amiri, have been sentenced to die in Iran for alleged spying on behalf of Israel, claim human rights groups. Iran Human Rights reports that Hassan got nabbed in March; his phone had an image of a bombed location. They say he was tortured and forced to admit guilt, naming his brother in the process. Not long after, they picked up Hossein, a car mechanic. Prosecutors built their case around pictures of destruction, but the guys maintain they’re innocent.
Local hospitals say that at least ten Palestinians, including two women and two children, were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza. Nine died in attacks in Gaza City; three occurred overnight, and one struck later, damaging homes badly. This happened even as a shaky ceasefire carries on in the larger conflict.
