CNN: Netanyahu made his disappointment known on Tuesday, telling Trump that he believed delaying the expected attacks was a mistake, and that the president should continue as planned, the US official said. During the hour-long conversation, Netanyahu pushed for a resumption of military action, an Israeli source familiar said. The divergence was clear: Trump wants to see if a deal can be reached, but Netanyahu was expecting something else, an Israeli official said…
Iran-U.S. diplomacy intensifies as Trump seeks ‘right answers,’ Tehran signals gaps ‘reduced’
Tehran was responding to Washington’s latest proposal, which had “reduced the gaps to some extent” between the two sides, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported early Thursday…
Iran is enforcing a multi-tiered system for clearing vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as nations try to replenish dwindling energy supplies throttled by the war. The U.S. has warned against complying with Iran’s controls. Some shippers and governments are taking the risk…
The rebuilding of military capabilities, including replacing missile sites, launchers and production capacity for key weapons systems destroyed during the current conflict, means that Iran remains a significant threat to regional allies should President Donald Trump restart the bombing campaign, according to the four sources familiar with the intelligence. It also calls into question claims about the extent to which US-Israeli strikes have degraded Iran’s military in the long term…
Britain clinches $5 billion Gulf trade deal in shadow of Iran war
The British government said the deal would be worth £3.7 billion ($4.96 billion) each year in the long term, more than double a previous estimate that it would be worth £1.6 billion, as the final deal went further on both trade liberalisation and service sector commitments than previously expected.
The deal will remove 93% of GCC tariffs on British goods, equivalent to the removal of £580 million worth of tariffs by the deal’s tenth year, with two-thirds of the tariffs being removed as soon as the deal comes into force…
Pakistan steps up diplomatic bid to get US-Iran peace talks on track
“We’re speaking to all the various groups in Iran to streamline communication and so things pick up pace,” said one of the sources.
“Trump’s patience running thin is a concern, but we’re working on the pace at which messages are relayed from each side.”…
Protests spread in Africa as fuel crisis deepens
Sharp rises in diesel and petrol prices spark violent clashes in Kenya and Comoros and strikes in Mozambique…
The Longest Internet Blackout in History Is Crippling Iran’s Economy
The blackout compounds the heavy cost the war has had on Iran’s economy. More than a million people are out of work, food prices have soared and the national currency has spiraled to record lows.
…Beyond losing work, Iranians in interviews say they are unable to complete ordinary tasks like telling family members where they are, obtaining medical records after doctor visits or updating their car’s software. As the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran, and Tehran fired projectiles across the Persian Gulf, many Iranians couldn’t access news from sources that weren’t aligned with the government…