File – Iran FM Abbas Araqchi
Major developments we’re following:
- Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East, issuing its own counterproposal instead, as it launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries.
- Two officials from Pakistan described the 15-point U.S. proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.
- Iran issued its own plan via state TV, which includes a halt to killings of its officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
- U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprising claim this week that talks with Iran were yielding great progress has only raised more confusion over a war whose goals were already unclear. Iran has so far denied any negotiations were taking place, pledging to fight “until complete victory.” On Wednesday evening, Trump insisted Iran is negotiating with the U.S.
- The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, over 1,000 people in Lebanon, 16 in Israel and 13 U.S. military members, as well as a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has described the Iran war as an economic “catastrophe” and said Germany did not want to get “sucked into” the conflict.
- Trump insists Iran is still negotiating- Speaking at a fundraiser for Republicans in Washington, D.C., Trump said Iran is still interested in cutting a deal.- “They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” Trump said of Iran’s leaders.
- 6 people who are linked to Lebanon’s Hezbooal were arrested in plot to kill Kuwait leaders, Ministry of Interior says. The ministry said in a statement that five of those arrested are Kuwaiti citizens. It added that it identified 14 more members of the group who had fled the country: Five Kuwaitis, five Kuwaitis whose nationalities have been revoked, two Iranians and two Lebanese. The arrested members confessed to espionage and to joining a terror group,
- Attacks by both Iran and its allied groups must stop, Arab countries say Wednesday’s statement by five Gulf nations and Jordan also condemned Iranian attacks “whether carried out directly or through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region.
- Jordan suspends residency of Iranian diplomat and denies accreditation of another. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi told the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV Wednesday that this measure is a clear message to Iran that their attacks against neighboring states are rejecte.
- Lebanon decided to expel the Iranian Ambassador over interfering in its internal affairs . The first rockets that were fire from Lebanon on Israel were launched by al Quds Force operatives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. (IRGC) according to Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam The embassy reportedly also facilitated the entry of Guards into Lebanon after Hezbollah was severely weakened following its 2023/24 war with Israel and Hezbollah is now being commanded by IRGC . Hezbollah and its ally Speaker Nabih Berri are fighting the deportation of the ambassador and told him not to leave, a move that could further complicate Lebanon’s relations with Iran and could eventually lead to the severing of diplomatic ties
- Saudi Arabia: Expelled five Iranian diplomats, including military staff, giving them 24 hours to leave.
- Qatar also expelled Iranian military and security attachés, also within 24 hours
- Saudi Arabia and Qatar are taking coordinated steps to remove Iranian security personnel
- UAE closed its embassy in Tehran and is withdrawing its ambassador,
- AP/ YL
