Al Jazeera

By Zaid Sabah and Danai Nesta Kupemba

    US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday afternoon to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping, saying he would have a “long talk” about Iran with the Chinese leader but that trade would be the main focus.

    Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, says the US-Israel war on Iran is one between “a proud people” and “professional liars who fabricated justifications for atrocity”.

    Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, DC, says Trump’s current position appears to be that “the ceasefire will continue until he says so”, after the president earlier said he would win the war “peacefully or otherwise”.

    Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports that two paramedics were killed, and a third was wounded in another Israeli targeted attack on emergency workers in southern Lebanon.

Chinese FM asks Pakistan to step up Iran-US mediation efforts

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Islamabad, via his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, to step up mediation efforts to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Xinhua news agency.

    During a phone call, Dar briefed Wang on Pakistan’s recent mediation efforts between the US and Iran and thanked China for its support. He also expressed hope of a strengthened coordination between the two countries, Xinhua reported.

    Wang commended Pakistan for facilitating the talks and helping extend the temporary ceasefire. China’s top diplomat expressed hope that Islamabad would maintain confidence and help to restore regional peace, according to Xinhua.

    Wang said China would continue to back Pakistan’s mediation efforts and also make its own contribution.

US offers $15m reward for tips on ‘illicit’ IRGC oil shipments

    The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $15m for details regarding oil deliveries connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its facilitators.

    A statement released on Tuesday by the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program said it was offering the huge payoff, “if you have information about the IRGC’s oil shipments, the tankers or entities involved in such illicit oil transfers, or related activities or individuals”.

Japan’s defence minister present at talks to safeguard Hormuz post war, but made no commitment

    More information is emerging about the meeting of more than 40 defence ministers who discussed post-war plans to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The multinational military mission is to be led by the UK and France.

    Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi participated in the meeting and described the strategic waterway as an “international public good”. He called for stability in the strait to be restored as soon as possible.

    Koizumi said that for the multinational mission to succeed, it was important that there be a “sustainable ceasefire between the US and Iran”, communication with Iran regarding the mission, and a “reduction of threats at an operational level”.

    Koizumi also made it clear that his taking part in the talks did not “imply Japan’s participation in the multinational mission”.

    It was an unusually united front for the Israeli lawmakers present for the vote.

    The tribunal can impose the death penalty and open hearings to the public, moves that seriously undermine the rights of Palestinians to a fair trial, human rights workers say.

Israeli attack kills 2 Lebanese paramedics and person they tried to save

Reporting from Tyre, southern Lebanon

    The death toll continues to rise here in southern Lebanon. There are more reports of very deadly strikes happening throughout the country.

    One of them targeted a group of paramedics belonging to the Lebanese Civil Defence.

    At least two of the paramedics were killed in that strike, and another one was injured. And the gentleman that they were trying to save and take to the hospital was also killed in that strike.

    I’ve been hearing explosions around me over the past hour.

    We’ve seen Israeli artillery and air strikes all along the coastal town here, south of Tyre.

    All of this is having a huge impact here on the communities in southern Lebanon. And there is a growing humanitarian crisis, with over a million people displaced.

Oil prices dip as markets monitor fragile Iran ceasefire, Trump’s China summit

    Crude oil prices dipped on Wednesday, snapping a three-day rise as the markets watched for news on the shaky ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran.

    By 00:51 GMT, Brent crude futures had dropped 82 cents (0.76 percent) to $106.95 per barrel. Meanwhile, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 66 cents (0.65 percent) to reach $101.52.

    Investors are now focused on Trump’s trip to China for talks with Xi Jinping, and what those discussions will mean for the war on Iran and the wider global economy.

US, not China, being ‘humiliated’ in Strait of Hormuz

    Gregory Poling, director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington, DC-based think tank, shared his insights with Al Jazeera on Trump’s visit to China.

    Asked if the US president is heading into the meeting with counterpart Xi from a position of strength, Poling said, “I don’t think so.”

    Poling explained that based on the outcomes of trade disputes with Washington over the last year, Beijing has concluded “that it has far more leverage than maybe it even anticipated, and that it doesn’t actually need to make major concessions, not major structural concessions to the US anyway.”

    He noted that global maritime routes are of significant interest to China. “If the Strait of Hormuz can be closed, then so can pretty much any other waterway on earth,” he said.

    Beijing already “views itself as a rule maker in the 21st century”, he said, adding that China has been “very clear in its own messaging into Iran that it wants to see the strait open”.

    “Both sides would like to see the strait opened,” Poling said, suggesting that Iran might be the one area where US and Chinese interests overlap.

    However, on whether China wants cooperation on Iran as much as the US, Poling said, “Clearly, the answer is no.”

    He concluded by pointing out that while Beijing wants the waterway to reopen, “it is not China being humiliated in the strait… It’s the US”.

Australia to join 40 nations for planned post-war Hormuz Strait mission

    Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has spoken to counterparts from more than 40 countries, reaffirming collective diplomatic, economic and military support for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

    Marles said Australia will support the “independent and strictly defensive” multinational military mission to ensure free navigation in the strait, which will be led by the UK and France.

    Australia will contribute their E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the mission, Marles said.

    “We want to see this conflict end, the Strait of Hormuz open and freedom of navigation resume. The longer this conflict goes on the more significant the impact on Australia will be,” he said in a statement.

UN Security Council draft resolution on Hormuz supported by 112 member states

By Gabriel Elizondo

Reporting from UN Headquarters, New York City, US

    The last few days, it’s been gaining support slowly and steadily. But now, we can report that the list of co-sponsors is actually 112 member states.

    The list takes up three full pages… We are talking about countries such as India, Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Senegal, Argentina, almost all of the European countries, and, of course, the Gulf countries as well.

    So it’s essentially being cosponsored by two-thirds of all 193 member states of the United Nations.

    It clearly has wide and broad support.

    This resolution is incredibly important because it, of course, calls for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but beyond that, the resolution aims to protect international waterways, commercial shipping and energy supplies while preserving “global economic and trade stability and ensuring the safety and security of seafarers”.

    So it’s a broad resolution that very clearly talks about the economic impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Also, of course, it demands that Iran halt any sort of aggressive actions or attacks on its Gulf neighbours.

    Clearly, it has overwhelming support.

    When this could go to a vote of the Security Council, that is unknown at this time, but it could be as soon as later this week.

US grocery prices see biggest jump in 4 years as Iran war drives up costs

    The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that grocery prices in the country rose by 0.7 percent in April, marking the largest one-month increase in nearly four years.

    According to US media, the spike confirms warnings that the war on Iran is driving up food costs for Americans.

    On an annual basis, fresh vegetable prices are up more than 44 percent compared with three months ago. During the same period, the cost of other staples, such as bread and milk, has seen more moderate increases of 8 percent and 5 percent.

    Meanwhile, coffee and beef are experiencing price shocks caused by both the war on Iran and other global factors.

    Increased shipping expenses and the high global demand are pushing prices higher. Over the last three months, grocery coffee prices in the US have climbed at an annual rate of more than 22 percent.

‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ Trump says

    Trump has said he “doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation” when it comes to his war on Iran, as preventing Tehran from having nuclear weapons takes precedence.

    When asked by a reporter to what extent the economic situation in the US, where inflation is rising, was motivating him to make a deal with Tehran, he responded: “Not even a little bit.”

    “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran: They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

    He was pressed further by another reporter who asked if Trump was considering the financial impact of the war on Americans, to which he said: “Every American understands” that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

    The war on Iran has pushed up food and fuel prices, making daily life increasingly difficult for Americans across the country.

US ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield could cost $1.2 trillion, far exceeding early estimates

    The AP reports that Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence programme is now estimated to cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years.

    A new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office shows the cost is far more than the $175bn Trump mentioned last year for his plan to protect the US with an Israeli-like missile shield, including putting weapons in space.

    The system is to be based on Israel’s “Iron Dome” and is designed to detect and stop missiles during an attack. So far, Congress has approved approximately $24bn for the project.

    Trump ordered the installation of the system during his first week in office and expects it to be working before his term ends in January 2029.

    Paul Laverty, a Scottish screenwriter, set the tone, saying actors should be allowed to speak out against the war.

    “Isn’t it fascinating to see some of them, like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza  Shame on Hollywood people who do that,” he said.

Israel qualifies for Eurovision final as five countries boycott over Gaza

    Israel has made it to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, despite protests being heard during the performance and five countries boycotting the competition over Israel’s participation.

    Noam Bettan, who is representing Israel, performed a song titled Michelle and earned enough points from a national jury and public vote to get to the final round, which will air on Saturday.

    Israel’s participation in the singing competition has been met with widespread controversy due to its genocidal war on Gaza.

    Five countries – Slovenia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Spain – have boycotted this year’s competition.

    In a statement, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said the country’s participation in the event “would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza”.

    Police in Vienna, Austria, which is hosting the competition, said they are preparing for protests this week against Israel.

Trump says main focus for China visit is trade, but will have ‘long talk’ with Xi on Iran

    Before leaving for Beijing on Tuesday, Trump said that trade, not Iran, will be the main topic of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the AP reports.

    Although Trump said he expects a “long talk” about Iran with Xi, he added that it wouldn’t be a primary point of discussion.

    “I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump said.

    Trump described Xi as “a friend” and someone he gets along with, adding, “I think you’re going to see that good things are going to happen.”

    But the president also issued a harsh warning regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. He told reporters, “We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated. One way or the other, we win.”

    On the current ceasefire, Trump said he would be considering its future during his flight to Beijing and “for the next little while”.

    “We’re going to see what happens,” he said.

The US has spent $29bn on Iran war

By Heidi Zhou-Castro

Reporting from Washington, DC, United States

    The war on Iran has cost the US at least $29bn in the 74 days that it has been waged, and that’s in munitions and equipment alone, not counting damage to military bases.

    US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was back on Capitol Hill asking Congress for more money: $1.5 trillion. He said that’s what the US needs to maintain its posture as the most effective military in the world.

    Republicans are mostly supportive, but Democrats pushed back, bolstered by a new poll from Reuters that says two-thirds of Americans are financially stressed by high gas prices, and two-thirds say they are not sure about Trump’s aims for this war.

    Hegseth also said that many military options remain, including escalation, as Trump has said the current ceasefire with Iran is on “life support”.

    He said Washington is prepared to secure a victory by any means necessary, whether through a peaceful resolution or other methods.

    Trump added that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss the war on Iran and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz during their meeting.

A recap of recent developments

    Trump has maintained that the US will achieve victory in the war, whether diplomatically or militarily, and dismissed the idea that Washington needs China to reach a settlement.

    Kuwait says it detected an attempted incursion by four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Bubiyan Island for “hostile” activities. Tehran has dismissed the allegations as false.

    The UAE has blacklisted 16 Lebanese citizens and five organisations based in Lebanon, labelling them as “terrorists” due to their purported connections to Hezbollah.

    The UK has announced it will contribute a significant arsenal of weaponry to a multinational defensive mission dedicated to securing the Strait of Hormuz.

    The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, expressed strong optimism about the expansion of the Abraham Accords, suggesting that Gulf states will eventually “have to make a choice” between Israel and Iran, as they weigh formal diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.

    The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since early March has climbed to 2,883, according to the most recent data released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Welcome to our coverage

    Hello, and welcome to our coverage of the ceasefire in the US war on Iran, as well as Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon.

    Stay with us for the latest news and analysis from across the Middle East and beyond.