Qatar warns full impact of Iran war set to hit global economy
The global economy is about to feel the full economic impact of the Iran war, Qatar's finance minister said on Wednesday, but headded that his country's finances would be able to ride out the problems for at least a year.
"A full-fledged impact is coming and it is not far away," Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari said at an IMF discussion in Washington, describing the recent spike in global prices as just the "tip of the iceberg."
"I think in one month, two months' time you are going to see really a huge economic impact globally," he said.
"Very soon you are going to have a problem of energy availability not just prices. So even if you can afford to pay you are not going to be able to source, which is a major, major problem."
Lebanon lodges complaint with UN over Israeli attacks
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has filed an official complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel's intense barrage on the country last week that it says killed over 300 people and wounded 1,150 others.
In less than 10 minutes last Wednesday, Israel struck 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon without warning during rush hour, marking one of the deadliest single bombing campaigns in the country's history. The ministry said in its letter on Wednesday that the majority of casualties were unarmed civilians.
Israel says it targeted Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but has offered few details on what was hit. The foreign ministry also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese medical facilities as violations of international law. It said Israel has launched 17 attacks on hospitals and 101 attacks on emergency response teams in its latest war against Hezbollah.
UN nuclear chief urges strict Iran checks in any deal to end war
The head of the UN General Assembly's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that "very detailed" measures to verify Iran's nuclear activities must be included in a potential US-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for a thorough verification regime for Iran's nuclear programme, as US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen over the next two days.
The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn't developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear programme.
After criticising pope, Trump slams Italy's Meloni
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was supposed to be Europe's bridge to US President Donald Trump. It may be burning.
After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside "unacceptable" and not backing the US-Israel war on Iran.
"I thought she had courage," Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. "I was wrong."
Meloni has not directly responded to Trump's attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.
Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had frayed. "She's been negative," Trump told Fox News. "Anybody that turned us down to helping with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship."
The only European Union leader invited to Trump's second inauguration, Meloni was expected to leverage her strong ties with him once he returned to office 15 months ago. The two had a perceived natural alliance, with nationalistic tendencies and similarly hard-line stances on immigration.
But Italy was not spared the pain of Trump's tariffs, and some may argue she has gotten little out of the relationship. When asked if they had spoken this month, Trump told Corriere, "No, not in a long time."
Netanyahu security cabinet meets to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire: Israeli official
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet will convene on Wednesday at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, a senior Israeli official said.
Two senior Lebanese officials told Reuters on Wednesday they had been briefed that efforts were underway for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but did not have details on when it would begin or how long it would last.
The officials both said it was likely the ceasefire's duration would be linked to how long a truce between the United States and Iran holds.
One of the officials said the U.S. had been pressuring Israel, including in talks in Washington on Tuesday, to work towards a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrives in Iran for talks on US-Iran dialogue: Report
Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have reached Tehran as a part of Pakistan's ongoing mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, Pakistan's military said in a statement on Wednesday.
They are in Tehran "to narrow gaps between Iran and the US" in order to prevent the resumption of war, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday.
US does not agree to ceasefire extension, continues engagement with Iran: Senior US official
The United States has not formally agreed to the extension of its ceasefire with Iran, a senior official said on Wednesday.
"There is continued engagement between the U.S. and Iran to reach a deal," a senior U.S. official told Reuters.
Trump says US can destroy Iran’s bridges, power plants within an hour
President Donald Trump on Wednesday told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" program that the United States could take out every one of Iran's bridges and power plants in one hour.
Trump says Xi denies arms to Iran in response to his letter
Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in a letter not to give Iran weapons, and Xi responded that China was not supplying Tehran, the U.S. president told Fox Business Network in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
Trump, in the interview taped on Tuesday, did not say when the letters were exchanged. Last week, he threatened countries with an immediate 50% tariff if they supplied Iran with weapons.
"I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he's not doing that," Trump told FBN's "Mornings with Maria" program.
He also said he did not expect shifts in the global oil market over the war on Iran and changes in Venezuela to impact the dynamics of his planned meeting with Xi next month. "He's somebody that needs oil. We don't," Trump said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China and the United States are working together and that Beijing is happy that he is opening the Strait of Hormuz.
"China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump says oil prices will drop sharply after Iran war ends
United States President Donald Trump has said that oil prices will drop 'very big' after he ends Iran war.
In an interview Sunday with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, Trump had said fuel prices could be the same or "maybe a little bit higher" by the November congressional elections.
But in a separate interview with Bartiromo, which was taped on Tuesday at the White House and broadcast on Wednesday, Trump claimed he'd been misquoted and tried to overcome the blowback from his previous comments.
He said he's happy with oil costing about USD 92 per barrel. "It's going to come dropping down very big as soon as this is over," he said, referring to the war. "And I think it can be over very soon."
Later in the interview, he predicted that gas prices, now averaging slightly above USD 4 a gallon, will be "much lower" by the elections.
Speaking again about the war, Trump said, "When that's settled, gas prices are going to go down tremendously."
Iran continues message exchange with US through Pakistan
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the exchange of messages with the United States through Pakistan continues, state media reported.
The spokesperson added that multiple messages have been exchanged since the Iranian delegation returned from Pakistan.
He added that talks in Pakistan discussed a full end to the war, lifting of sanctions and retribution of damages from US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
It is highly probable that a Pakistani delegation will arrive in Iran on Wednesday and pass on messages from the US in a continuation of talks between Tehran and Washington, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson also said.
According to him, reports about ceasefire extension are not confirmed and no specific dates have been fixed for talks yet. Iran asked for its frozen assets to be be freed in talks with US but no conclusion was reached.
Two medics killed in strike on rescue team in southern Lebanon
Two medics were killed in a strike on a rescue team in southern Lebanon, the state news agency said.
Efforts to extend ceasefire make progress, officials say
Mediators' efforts to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have made progress as the warring sides are expected to return soon to the table for another round of negotiations, regional officials said.
The officials said mediators aim to extend the ceasefire, which is due to expire on April 22, for at least another two weeks to allow diplomacy another chance. They said that both sides gave an "in principle agreement" to extend the ceasefire.
One of the officials, who is involved in the mediation efforts, said mediators were working on a compromise to the three main disputed points, including the nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and war compensation.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
Iranian sanctioned supertanker crosses Hormuz Strait despite US blockade, Fars reports
An Iranian sanctioned supertanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz towards Iran's Imam Khomeini Port despite a U.S. blockade, Iran's Fars News Agency said on Wednesday.
Fars said the Very Large Crude Carrier was capable of carrying two million barrels of crude, but it was not clear if the tanker was returning with its cargo onboard or was empty.
US to send thousands of more troops to the Middle East: Report
The U.S is set to send thousands of more troops into the Middle East in coming days, as the Trump administration attempts to pressure Iran into a deal, the Washington Post said on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Pakistan PM Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey this week
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey from April 15 to 18, Islamabad said on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka repatriates over 230 Iranian sailors
Over 230 sailors of two Iranian Naval vessels distressed in Sri Lanka after a US submarine attack and engine failure respectively have been repatriated, defence officials said here Wednesday.
A total of 238 sailors were sent back on board a Turkish Airliner late on Tuesday night.
On March 4, Iran's naval ship ‘Iris Dena’ was attacked by the US killing 84 on board outside Sri Lanka’s international waters. As many as 32 others were rescued by Sri Lanka.
Then three days later, Iran's second ship ‘Iris Bushehr’ was allowed into Sri Lanka waters after it reported an engine failure. Over 200 on board the second ship were accommodated at Welisara, a Naval facility outside Colombo.
The 238 repatriated on Tuesday were sailors from both ships, defence officials said.
A group of ‘Iris Dena’ survivors were accommodated at Koggala, a Sri Lankan Airforce facility near the southern port of Galle. They were receiving treatment at the national hospital in Galle.
On March 14, the Iranian embassy in Sri Lanka repatriated the remains of 84 sailors killed in the US attack on ‘Iris Dena’.
Iran used Chinese spy satellite to target US bases: Report
Iran secretly used a Chinese spy satellite that gave the Islamic Republic a new capability to target U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Trump tells ABC News he is not thinking about extending ceasefire with Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl on Tuesday he was not thinking about extending the ceasefire with Iran.
"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump told the reporter.
IAEA chief Grossi: Length of Iran uranium enrichment ban is a political decision
The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday a decision on how long a moratorium on uranium enrichment that Iran must be bound by under any agreement with the U.S. was a political decision.
U.S. and Iranian officials ended talks at the weekend on ending the Iran war, without agreement over differences that included how long Tehran would suspend uranium enrichment, which the U.S. and the West say would be used to build weapons.
