Israel-Lebanon-US agreement on start of direct negotiations. US Treasury will not extend exemptions on Iran oil

The representatives of Israel and Lebanon "held constructive discussions on the measures necessary to start direct negotiations between the two countries". This was stated in a joint note issued after the meetings in Washington. "The parties agreed to start direct negotiations at a date and place to be determined at a later date," it stressed.

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter welcomed the "excellent exchange" at the end of the first direct talks with Lebanon held today in Washington. "Today we discovered that we are on the same side. This is the most positive thing we can take from this meeting. We are both united in our desire to free Lebanon from occupation, from a power dominated by Iran and called Hezbollah,' he concluded.

"The United Kingdom is playing a leading role in international efforts to restore the free movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz". This was stated by the spokesperson for the British Embassy in Rome, Pierluigi Puglia, on the sidelines of the event today at Villa Wolkonsky at which the photographic exhibition 'A riveder le stelle' was inaugurated. "The Foreign Minister led talks last week with over 40 countries to discuss the urgent need to restore freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic. The Ministry of Defence brought together military planners from more than 30 countries to consider how best to coordinate common resources. The Prime Minister also held further consultations with allies in the Gulf region,' the spokesman recalled. 'We will continue to work with the shipping, insurance and energy sectors to restore confidence in this route as quickly as possible,' he explained. 'Iran must immediately cease all mine-laying activities, drone strikes and any other attempts to block commercial traffic in the Strait.

After airports, airlines are also appealing to the European Union for temporary measures to help them cope with potential aviation fuel shortages and increased costs caused by the war with Iran. From monitoring fuel stocks at European level, to more flexible slot management when flights are cancelled, to the abolition of aviation taxes and ETS to the introduction of subsidies for airlines carrying excess fuel. The A4E association, which represents companies such as Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and IAG (British Airways and Iberia), as well as the low-cost easyJet and Ryanair, has also asked the EU to allow the import and use in the block of Jet type A fuel, mainly used in the US, a type that is not allowed in Europe because it is too polluting.

Pakistan is pushing to arrange the second round of talks between the United States and Iran this week, hoping to build on the momentum from the last meeting in Islamabad between delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf. This was reported to the New York Times by three Pakistani officials.

"It is essential that these negotiations continue. I think it would be unrealistic to expect such a complex and long-standing issue to be resolved during the first session". This was said by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the possibility of a new round of US-Iran talks to end the war. "Therefore, it is necessary for negotiations to move forward and, in the meantime, the ceasefire must be maintained in order to facilitate the negotiation process," he added. "The information we have suggests that a meeting with the premier of Pakistan is planned.

The head of American diplomacy advises against expecting an immediate breakthrough in relations between Israel and Lebanon with the start of negotiations today. Speaking from the US capital, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that "this is a process, not an event. All the complexities of this issue will not be resolved in the next six hours'.

At least 35 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in the last 24 hours. This was stated by the Lebanese Health Ministry in its daily update, as Lebanese and Israeli officials meet in Washington, DC, to discuss possible ceasefire talks, writes CNN. According to the Health Ministry, the country's air strikes against Lebanon have killed at least 2,124 people since 2 March. The victims include 168 children and at least 88 health workers. Israel began strikes against what it calls Iranian-backed Hezbollah targets in the country just over six weeks ago, and has continued to conduct raids even after the current ceasefire between Iran and the US.

Mercoledì 8 aprile 2026, alcune persone trasportano un uomo rimasto ferito in seguito a un attacco aereo israeliano che ha colpito un complesso religioso nella città portuale meridionale di Sidone, in Libano. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari) Associated Press / LaPresse

At least nine commercial vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the naval blockade declared by the US and which came into effect at 4pm Italian time yesterday. This was reported by CNN, citing maritime tracking data, while the US Central Command (Centcom) assured that no vessels had violated the restrictions in the last 24 hours. The same Centcom clarified that the blockade only applies to traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports, while allowing ships bound for other destinations to transit. According to Kpler, a French company that maps the global flow of oil and raw materials in real time, vessels transiting include the oil tanker 'Rich Starry', sanctioned by the US since 2023 for its links with Iran, and the 'Elpis', also under sanctions. MarineTraffic data also indicate the passage of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier 'Christianna' and the oil tanker 'Murlikishan' owned by a company based in the Marshall Islands and included in the US sanctions programme against Tehran. The reported ships also include an oil tanker belonging to a Chinese company and a LPG transport ship. Cnn points out that it is not possible to independently verify these movements because the tracking data may present anomalies, also due to signal interruptions or spoofing practices, i.e. the transmission of false signals to mask the real position of the ships.

A blockade "is never the right answer, a blockade does not solve other blockades," said European Council President Antonio Costa, in an interview with CNN in which he explained that the Franco-British conference to set up a coalition of countries willing to take defensive action in the Strait of Hormuz is instead a more viable path. "We are proceeding in the right way and the right way is to deal with this issue in full compliance with international law," Costa said, stressing that even if China and Russia vetoed the UN draft resolution authorising such a coalition, "it is not impossible to make progress" on this front. "In the ideal world we could rely on a mandate of the UN Security Council, but it is not impossible to act in a different framework, not in the framework of this war but of a peace settlement."

In the best case scenario, i.e. if the conflict in Iran and the Middle East drags on for only a few more weeks, the world economy will slow down by a few decimals in 2026. If things go wrong or very wrong, with a protracted war, growth could slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 2.5% or even 2%, one step away from what economists consider a global recession.

These are the scenarios outlined by the International Monetary Fund in the update of its World economic outlook, published on Tuesday 14 April. As anticipated last week by the managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, the damage is already such that the progress of the first months of the year has been wiped out and growth has been halted below the 2025 level. "Before the war, the global economy was performing better than expected," the Fund points out, despite the chaos already unleashed on tariffs by US President Donald Trump. In the reference scenario, Italy's growth stops at 0.5% in 2026, with a downward correction of 0.2%.

Direct talks between the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and the Lebanese ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh, are underway at the State Department in Washington, mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Secretary of State did not answer journalists' questions about the war in Iran when he was photographed with the other diplomats.

Talks between the United States and Iran could resume in the next two days. This was said by Donald Trump in an interview with the New York Post. "We have in mind another place" for the talks, the president added, ruling out the possibility that the next talks could take place again in Pakistan. "Things are moving but I don't think that's where we will have our next meeting."

"Over 10,000 US sailors, Marines and airmen, along with more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, are executing the mission to block ships entering and leaving Iranian ports." This was reported by the US Central Command in a post on X. "In the first 24 hours, none of the ships managed to get through the US blockade and 6 merchant ships complied with the directives of the US forces, reversing course to re-enter an Iranian port overlooking the Gulf of Oman," the Command says, stressing that "the blockade is being applied impartially against ships of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports located on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman."

"The essence of civilisations is revealed at crucial moments in history. The positions taken by Spain, China, Russia, Turkey, Italy and Egypt against the bellicism and crimes of the Zionist regime are rooted in their deep cultural and historical traditions'. With these words, the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, spoke in favour of the distancing of some governments, including Italia, from Israel.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced that they killed three Hezbollah militiamen who injured ten paratroopers in a firefight in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil overnight. During the night,soldiers of the 101st Battalion of the Parachute Brigade engaged in a firefight with a cell of three militants of the Iranian-backed Islamic fundamentalist movement. According to the IDF, the balance was three paratroopers in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and six with minor injuries.

The troops returned fire and, together with tank support and air strikes, killed two of the Hezbollah militants, the army reported. The third militiaman from the 'Party of God' tried to flee the area, but shortly afterwards was targeted and killed in an attack, the IDF added.

"While discussing the Iran conflict, it is important not to forget Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: the message is clear, this is not the time to ease the pressure on Moscow, because Russia is unfortunately emerging as the winner from this war, as rising energy prices provide it with additional revenue for its war machine". This was said by Valdis Dombrovskis speaking at the Semafor World Economic Summit.

For more: Oil and gas, why Trump's naval blockade of Iran is a risk

At least two ships from Iranian ports crossed the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, despite the US military blockade, according to maritime data company Kpler. In detail, the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Christianna crossed the Strait, after unloading corn in the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing near the Iranian island of Larak at around 4pm yesterday, i.e. after the blockade imposed by Washington came into effect at 2pm. In addition, the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Elpis was spotted near the island of Larak at around 11am and crossed the Strait at around 4pm. In addition to these two ships, according to Reuters, a Chinese tanker, which had already been sanctioned by the US for its trade relations with Iran, also passed through Hormuz in the past few hours, despite the US blockade.

In the best case scenario, i.e. if the conflict in Iran and the Middle East drags on for only a few more weeks, the world economy will slow down by a few decimals in 2026. If things go wrong or very wrong, with a protracted war, growth could slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 2.5% or even 2%, one step away from what economists consider a global recession.

These are the scenarios outlined by the International Monetary Fund in the update of its World economic outlook, published on Tuesday 14 April. As anticipated last week by the managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, the damage is already such that the progress of the first months of the year has been wiped out and growth has been halted below the 2025 level. "Before the war, the global economy was performing better than expected," the Fund points out, despite the chaos already unleashed on tariffs by US President Donald Trump. In the reference scenario, Italy's growth stops at 0.5% in 2026, with a downward correction of 0.2%.

Where fiscal support is deemed necessary to protect the most vulnerable from extreme external shocks, "it should be targeted, timely, temporary, and financed within existing budget allocations by reprioritising spending and, if this is not possible, by clearly communicating the path for restoring fiscal balances". Thus the International Monetary Fund in the World economic outlook. "To rebuild reserves for future shocks, governments should - depending on their country-specific circumstances - mobilise revenues, reprioritise spending, make spending more efficient, and manage extraordinary revenues prudently," it adds. "A second priority is addressing internal imbalances, especially when this also contributes to reducing excessive external imbalances. Actions to remove internal distortions - through fiscal, structural and industrial policies - can simultaneously reduce external imbalances and increase global output. Trade restrictions play a limited role in correcting imbalances, but can negatively affect output. Instead, countries should cooperate and take coordinated measures to restore stability in international economic relations. They should look for opportunities tostrengthen trade integration, using predictable, transparent and well-communicated trade regulatory frameworks,' it adds.

The Israeli operation against Iran will end ''when the regime of the Ayatollahs is replaced''. This was stated by Mossad chief David Barnea, speaking at a Holocaust memorial ceremony. Barnea compared the Holocaust to the Iranian regime, stressing that Israel's commitment ''will only be fully respected when the extremist regime is replaced. That regime, which aims at our destruction, must disappear from the world'. Barnea went on to say that ''those who naively believe that the Holocaust belongs to the past and that in today's reality genocide cannot occur, that there can be no calls for extermination or hatred that threatens the existence of a people'' are mistaken. Specifically, ''the Iranian threat has steadily intensified before our eyes, almost without the world intervening''. As Israelis, he added, ''repeatedly we warned of the nuclear danger as an existential threat; repeatedly we warned of the amount of ballistic missiles threatening Israeli civilians across the country and of the danger posed by the Iranian regime. In the end, we took our fate into our own hands and went into two necessary wars'.

The International Energy Agency predicts that 'oil demand will contract by 80,000 barrels per day this year due to the disruption of the global outlook caused by the war with Iran'. In this month's report, the agency revises its estimates. In March, global oil supply plummeted by 10.1 million barrels per day to 97 million barrels per day due to continued attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East and persistent restrictions on the transit of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the largest disruption in history.

Regarding demand, "this is 730,000 barrels per day less than last month's report and the projected drop of 1.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026 would be the most pronounced since the Covid-19 drastically reduced fuel consumption".

"I am concerned, about the economy in general, I am very concerned if the round of negotiations cannot be resumed and continued and the Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened. Since the beginning of the crisis we have been prompt in giving answers and we will continue to be prompt in giving answers. To do this we need a commitment from the Italia government, and we need Europe'. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this at a press point at Vinitaly in Verona.

Yet another attack by Pope Leo against the bullies of the world who decide wars. After yesterday's retort to Donald Trump, today Leo reiterates that 'the heart of God is torn by wars, violence, injustice and lies. But the heart of our Father is not with the wicked, with the arrogant, with the proud: the heart of God is with the little ones and the humble, and with them he brings forth his Kingdom of love and peace, day by day,' he said, praising what is being done in the Home for the Elderly of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Annaba, Algeria

It was Defence Minister Guido Crosetto who wrote to his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz the letter suspending the Italia-Israel memorandum. The memorandum, which establishes a sort of framework for defence cooperation regarding the exchange of military materials and technological research within the armed forces, previously provided for renewal every five years and came into force on 13 April 2016.

"There is an increasingly complex set of risks, from geopolitical tensions and wars to volatile energy prices, trade uncertainty to large global fiscal deficits and high asset prices. While we cannot predict how they will ultimately evolve, these risks and uncertainties are significant and reinforce the reasons why we are preparing the company to deal with a wide range of scenarios,' he said. This was stated by Jp Morgan's CEO, Jamie Dimon, commenting on the first quarter results. Dimon noted, however, that between January and March 'the US economy remained resilient, with consumers continuing to earn and spend and businesses still healthy. Several favourable factors support this resilience," he concluded, "including increased fiscal stimulus, the benefits of deregulation, Ai-driven capital investment, and Fed asset purchases.

Further reading

It is not like the 1970s: there is an abundance of oil and gas all over the world

14 April 2026

There is the fear of the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, on the Red Sea, among the main reasons that prompted Saudi Arabia to pressure the United States to lift the naval blockade that came into force yesterday. What would be a huge blow for Riyadh, in fact, is if Tehran decides, in retaliation, to close not only the Strait of Hormuz, but also Bab al-Mandeb, which is now crucial for the remaining Saudi oil exports. Explaining this to the Wall Street Journal, Arab officials noted that Saudi Arabia has managed to restore its oil exports to pre-war levels of around seven million barrels per day despite the blockade of Hormuz. And it succeeded in doing just that by diverting most of its crude oil exports from the Ras Tanura facility in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu a few days after the war began on 28 February. If the Bab al-Mandeb Strait were to be closed, however, these supplies would be at risk. The Bab al-Mandeb strait is a narrow passage between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that connects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. The strait, whose name means 'Gate of Tears', leads to the Suez Canal and is one of the most important links for ships sailing between Asia and Europe. But already during the war in the Gaza Strip, Yemeni Houthi militiamen proved that they are capable of damaging shipping at Bab al-Mandeb and they could do so again this time, if Iran requests it. Indeed, the Houthis control a long stretch of coastline near Bab al-Mandeb and during the war in Gaza they fired missiles and drones at ships passing through it. Iran is already putting pressure on the Houthis to close the strait, Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal. 'If Iran really wants to close Bab al-Mandeb, the Houthis are the ideal partner to do so, and their reaction to the Gaza conflict shows that they have the capability,' said Adam Baron, a Yemen expert and researcher at New America, a Washington-based policy analysis institute.

Further reading

Bab el-Mandeb, why new Houthi attacks may expand the war on the Horn of Africa

28 March 2026

Naval tracking data show that four Iran-linked ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite the start of Washington's naval blockade. This is according to an analysis by BBC Verify, the British broadcaster's team specialising in data analysis and the use of open-source intelligence (Osint). According to the tracking portal MarineTraffic, two of these ships had called at Iranian ports. The bulk carrier Christianna crossed the strait yesterday after the blockade began, having called at Bandar Iman Khomeini in Iran. In contrast, the Rich Starry, sanctioned by the US for trading with Iran, sailed east from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, crossing the strait overnight. The tanker Murlikishan, also subject to US sanctions for trade with Iran, sailed westwards from Lanshan, China, and crossed the strait overnight. According to MarineTraffic, its last reported position was east of the Iranian island of Qeshm. Another tanker, the Elpis, crossed the strait today, heading east from the Iranian port of Bushehr, tracking data show. It is subject to US sanctions and its destination is unknown. "It is possible that these ships have been transmitting false position signals - a practice known as 'spoofing' - to disguise their location," Bbc points out. The US military said it would block all maritime traffic in and out of Iranian ports but would not impede freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports

"In my meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Bin Zayed, I expressed my gratitude for the assistance and attention devoted to the security of the 200,000 EU citizens residing in the UAE.

We discussed how the EU and the UAE can cooperate more closely to restore stability in the region and protect our common interests'. European Council President Antonio Costa wrote this on X. "The EU is committed to working with partners in the region to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensure the safe passage of ships around the Arabian Peninsula and support all diplomatic efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East," he adds.

According to navigation data, a third oil tanker entered the Persian Gulf today through the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera writes this. The Peace Gulf, flying the Panamanian flag, is bound for the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates, Lseg data show. Previously, two oil tankers under US sanctions had crossed the strait. The three ships were not bound for Iranian ports, and were not affected by the US blockade. The tanker Handy Murlikishan is bound for Iraq to load fuel oil on 16 April, according to Kpler. The ship, formerly known as Mka, carried Russian and Iranian oil. Another sanctioned tanker, the Rich Starry, was instead the first to cross the strait and exit the Gulf since the beginning of the blockade, according to data from Lseg and Kpler.

Squeezed between the intransigence of Benjamin Netanyahu on the one hand and the equally extreme intransigence of Hezbollah on the other, the fragile Beirut government is preparing to face negotiations that have already begun on an uphill slope. Today, Tuesday 14 April, in the United States, the first direct negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli governments are due to begin. An unprecedented step in recent decades. But the context is adverse.

A senior Hezbollah representative made it clear that the pro-Iranian Shia movement will not respect any agreement reached in the US. The only hope for the executive in Beirut is Donald Trump's determination to pursue the path of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Trump is determined not to give the Iranian regime an excuse to refuse to reach a broad agreement with the US. Netanyahu and Hezbollah are entrenched in their mutual positions. Israel's adherence to the talks that will start today seems more dictated by the fear of being accused of not trying than by a genuine will to reach a ceasefire. Netanyahu's formula, if indeed this were the case, is very difficult to achieve: fighting on the ground would have to go on along with the talks. Israel is not willing to leave southern Lebanon for the time being.

'In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel'. This was announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of Vinitaly in Verona.

The record trade balance data of 2025 are likely to end up in the drawer of memories. The chaotic international environment shows that in March 2026 China showed a slowdown in exports (+2.5% year-on-year) offset by a sharp jump in imports (+27.8%). The trade surplus, which was expected to grow exponentially in 2025, has now fallen to USD 51.13 billion, with a significant drop in shipments to the US (-26.5%, or USD 29.4 billion). In January-February it had been $213.6 billion.

A conference will take place on Friday in Paris between the 'non-belligerent countries' volunteering for a mission over the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Elysée announced.

"It is very difficult to meet other interlocutors who can unravel this situation provoked in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz more than China, so I think China can play an important role in finding a diplomatic way for the war to end, contributing to stability and peace". Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said this at a press conference in Beijing after meeting President Xi Jinping. "We do not support this war, but businesses, families, Spain, the EU and the world are already noticing its consequences, and therefore, any effort that all nations can make, especially those that have an interlocutor and have not actively participated in this illegal war, is welcome and necessary," the socialist leader added.

The naval blockade with which the US began yesterday to interdict maritime traffic to and from Iran does not, at least for now, coincide with a total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump's political announcement spoke of ships trying to enter or leave the strait, but the operational wording of the US Central Command (CentCom) is more circumscribed: the blockade concerns "all maritime traffic" entering or leaving Iranian ports, on the coasts of the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, while passage to non-Iranian ports remains formally permitted.

This means that Washington, rather than sealing off all movement inside Hormuz, is trying to turn the maritime bottleneck into a military filter. The aim is to separate 'neutral' traffic from traffic connected to Iranian terminals, thus depriving Tehran of the possibility to export oil and refined products normally. According to the Reuters news agency, the blockade can take about 2 million barrels per day of Iranian crude oil and derivatives off the market, but without theoretically stopping ships bound for the Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, or other Gulf ports.

Negotiating teams from the United States and Iran may return to Islamabad this week, just days after the highest-level talks between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended in the Pakistani capital without any concrete results. Reuters reports this, citing four different sources.

Further reading

Closing Hormuz or taxing ships for passage is not legal

09 April 2026

China has promised to impose "countermeasures" after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods entering the US if Beijing provides military assistance to Iran during the Middle East war. "If the United States insists on using this as a pretext to impose additional tariffs on China, China will certainly take resolute countermeasures," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference, adding that reports that China is supplying arms to Iran "are completely fabricated

China calls the US-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz 'dangerous and irresponsible'. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said this.

"The US has stepped up military operations and imposed a targeted blockade, which will only exacerbate tensions, weaken an already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardise the security of the cross-strait passage. This is dangerous and irresponsible behaviour'.

Further reading

Oil and gas, why Trump's naval blockade of Iran is a risk

14 April 2026

"The ball is in the Iranians' court". This was said by US Vice President JD Vance on the state of positions between Washington and Tehran after the failed negotiations in Pakistan last weekend.

"We want that material," he said in reference to enriched uranium, "out of the country completely, so that the United States has control over it," he told Fox News, emphasising the need to provide checks that Tehran cannot enrich uranium in the future.

Saudi Arabia is putting pressure on the US to lift the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table with Iran. The Wall Street Journal reports this, citing Arab officials, who say Riyadh fears that Tehran may respond to the blockade by closing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, a strategic Red Sea route for Saudi Arabia's remaining oil exports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a four-point proposal to promote peace and stability in the Middle East to Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during a meeting in Beijing. Xinhua reports. The proposal includes respect for the principle of peaceful coexistence, respect for the principle of national sovereignty, respect for the principle of the international rule of law and respect for the coordination of development and security.

Further reading

Netanyahu and the one continuous war strategy

12 April 2026

"Pakistan has proposed to host a second round of talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad in the coming days, before the end of the ceasefire," the Ap agency writes on its website citing two Pakistani officials. The officials added that the proposal would depend on the parties' request for a different venue.

The Chinese-owned, Malawi-flagged oil tanker Riche Starry, which crossed the Strait of Hormus after the US blockade, entered the Gulf of Oman a few minutes ago. This is the latest information on the ship according to Marine Traffic's tracking service, updated at just before 7am.

Yesterday, the Rich Starry set sail on 4 April from Sbharjah Anch in the United Arab Emirates and its destination is China.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will participate in direct talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled to take place in Washington today. A State Department official told CNN, pointing out that the talks, scheduled to take place at the State Department, will also be attended by the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, and State Department advisor, Michael Needham. The Israeli and Lebanese delegations will be led by their respective ambassadors to the US, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh.

"This conversation will broaden the ongoing dialogue on how to ensure the long-term security of Israel's northern border and how to support the Lebanese government's determination for full sovereignty over its territory and political life," the US official said. "Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason why the two neighbouring countries should not have a dialogue.

Pakistan has proposed to host a second round of talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad in the coming days, before the ceasefire ends, according to two Pakistani officials.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter with the press, said that the proposal would depend on the parties' request for a different venue.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreement that may result from direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in the United States, negotiations to which it is firmly opposed. This was stated - as reported by The Guardian - by Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, on the eve of planned talks in Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors. It will be the first time in decades that the envoys of the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations, will meet face to face for direct talks.

A large stockpile of Iranian crude oil on board tankers already at sea and substantial onshore deposits in China will provide a reserve for the country's independent refineries should a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupt oil flows.

According to data collected by Kpler, some 38 million barrels of Iranian oil are on board ships in the seas of Asia, more than a third of which are anchored in the Yellow Sea off the Chinese coast. Total crude oil stocks in Shandong province, home to most of the country's independent refineries, known as 'teapots', have also risen and are close to this year's highs, according to OilChem.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a meeting in Washington on Tuesday between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon to launch direct negotiations between the two countries. Axios reports.

The talks, which will take place against the backdrop of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah and a large Israeli ground invasion in southern Lebanon, will focus on the possibility of a ceasefire and the long-term disarmament of Hezbollah, as well as a peace agreement between the two countries, according to sources.

According to the New York Times, US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's proposal to suspend its uranium enrichment programme for five years.

Vice-President JD Vance called for a 20-year suspension in the weekend negotiations, which ended without an agreement the day before the start of the US military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump rejected the Iranian offer.