{"id":448,"date":"2026-05-12T04:51:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T04:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=448"},"modified":"2026-05-16T01:51:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T01:51:45","slug":"middle-east-live-us-iran-talks-deadlocked-strait-of-hormuz-still-closed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=448","title":{"rendered":"Middle East live: US-Iran talks deadlocked, Strait of Hormuz still closed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"t-content t-content--article t-content--liveblog\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-main\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Iran should not use Hormuz to \u2018blackmail\u2019 Gulf, Qatar says<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-cartouche\">As it happened<\/div>\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T04:18:04+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 06:18<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-13T00:23:25+00:00\">13\/05\/2026 &#8211; 02:23<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    1 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                        <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a96d2d6a-4a46-11f1-a4e8-005056bfb2b6\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-05-07T000000Z-383653049-MT1KYODO000GR154O-RTRMADP-3-VESSELS-IN-STRAIT-OF-HORMUZ.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, photographed on on May 5, 2026\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, photographed on on May 5, 2026.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Kyodo via Reuters<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main\" data-article-content>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                Qatar\u2019s top diplomat said on Tuesday that Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz as a means to blackmail Gulf countries or as a \u201cweapon\u201d. Iran\u2019s ongoing blockade of the strait has halted crucial oil and gas exports for many Gulf countries, straining their economies.\u00a0Read our blog to see how the day&#8217;s events unfolded.            <\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<div id=\"em-WBMZ546481-F24-EN-20260512\" class=\"m-em-liveblog\" data-liveblog>\n<div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T22:48:36+00:00\">13\/05\/2026 &#8211; 00:48<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 hits Tehran, Iranian state media reports<\/h2>\n<p><span>A \u200b4.6 magnitude earthquake was reported in the \u200bIranian \u200ccapital \u2060of Tehran on \u200cTuesday, Iranian state media reported, \u2060citing the country&#8217;s seismological center.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>The \u200bquake was \u200cat a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 \u200cmiles), according to the \u200bcenter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>There was no immediate report of casualties \u200bor damage \u200bfrom the quake, \u200bwhich struck the \u200bborder area between Tehran and Mazandaran.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T22:21:33+00:00\">13\/05\/2026 &#8211; 00:21<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon to withdraw from direct talks with Israel in Washington<\/h2>\n<p><span>The leader of Lebanon\u2019s militant Hezbollah group called on the government on Tuesday to withdraw from direct talks with Israel this week in Washington, calling them a concession and instead urged for indirect negotiations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold two days of talks in Washington, starting Thursday, in an attempt to end the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict that broke out two months ago, following the Iran war, and discuss the future of relations between the two countries, which have officially been at war since Israel was created in 1948.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>Naim Kassem said in a letter directed to the group\u2019s officials that direct negotiations benefit Israel and that they are \u201cconcessions by Lebanese authorities.\u201d He said Lebanon\u2019s government should instead resort to indirect negotiations, as it has done in the past, such as when a ceasefire was reached in November 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>Indirect talks are usually done through a third party.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T20:43:32+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 22:43<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Lebanon says 13 killed in Israeli strikes in the south<\/h2>\n<p><span>Israeli strikes killed 13 people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, including a soldier, a child and two rescue workers, the health ministry said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8220;A strike on the city of Nabatieh left five dead, including two Civil Defence rescuers,&#8221; the ministry said, while another strike in around Jebchit left four dead &#8220;including a soldier and a Syrian national&#8221; and a third strike in Bint Jbeil killed &#8220;four civilians, including a child and a woman&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T19:42:55+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 21:42<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Iran condemns Kuwait&#8217;s arrest of four Iranians, rejects allegations of hostile plot<\/h2>\n<p>\u2060Iran&#8217;s \u2060foreign \u200bministry has condemned Kuwait&#8217;s arrest of four \u200bpeople \u200cit \u2060said were \u200caffiliated with Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guards, \u2060saying they were on \u200bmaritime patrol and \u200centered the Gulf country&#8217;s territorial \u200cwaters due \u200bto &#8220;disruption in their navigation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The ministry rejected \u200bKuwait&#8217;s statements \u200bsaying that \u200bIran was planning &#8220;hostile \u200bactions&#8221; against the Gulf country.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T19:18:08+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 21:18<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Oil spill in Gulf likely caused by tanker dump, Iranian official says<\/h2>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s \u2060top environmental official said that a suspected oil spill in \u200bthe Gulf near Iran&#8217;s Kharg Island was likely caused by a tanker dumping waste water and not a leak \u200bfrom \u200coil facilities.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The suspected oil spill \u2060covering dozens of square kilometres of sea near Iran&#8217;s main oil \u200chub of Kharg Island has been seen on satellite \u2060imagery.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.eu.getarena.im\/cm\/6a037d36e3bc8df7f4c514f0.jpg\"><em class=\"ql-size-small\">A satellite image shows an apparent oil spill off the western side of Kharg Island, Iran\u2019s main crude oil export terminal. \u00a9 European Space Agency via AP<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The likely spill &#8211; appearing on images as a grey and white slick &#8211; covered waters to \u200bthe west of the 8-kilometre (5-mile) long island, \u200cpictures from Copernicus\u2019s Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites showed on May 6-8.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But Iranian Vice-President Shina Ansari said: &#8220;Our monitoring \u200cresults show that this spill was caused by the discharge of ballast \u200bwater contaminated with substances from a non-Iranian tanker, and no oil leaks have been reported from (Iran&#8217;s) pipelines \u200bor oil facilities,&#8221; state media reported.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T17:11:26+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 19:11<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>UK to send drones, jets and warship to join defensive mission securing Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n<p>Britain has \u200bsaid it will contribute \u200cautonomous \u2060mine-hunting \u200cequipment, Typhoon fighter \u2060jets and the \u200bwarship \u200cHMS Dragon to \u200ca \u200bmultinational defensive mission aimed at \u200bsecuring \u200bshipping in \u200bthe \u200bStrait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T17:10:42+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 19:10<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Israel strikes Lebanon as authorities report 380 killed since truce<\/h2>\n<p>Israel hammered south Lebanon with strikes on Tuesday ahead of talks between the two countries in Washington, as Beirut reported 380 people killed in Israeli attacks since an April 17 ceasefire took effect.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Lebanon&#8217;s health ministry said an Israeli strike on Tuesday targeted a civil defence team responding to an earlier raid in the southern city of Nabatieh, killing two rescuers and the wounded person they went to save.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.eu.getarena.im\/cm\/6a035efd0e65d6a244b66daf.JPG\"><em class=\"ql-size-small\">Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Kfar Tebnit, near Nabatieh in south\u00a0Lebanon. \u00a9 Stringer, Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The ministry decried Israel&#8217;s &#8220;complete disregard for all international norms&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah has also been carrying out attacks, including several on Tuesday, both against Israeli troops who have invaded south Lebanon and across the border, saying they are in response to Israeli ceasefire violations.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T16:59:32+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 18:59<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>EU says could expand naval mission to Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n<p>EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas has said the bloc could expand a naval mission it has in the Red Sea to cover the Strait of Hormuz, once the Iran war ends.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Operation Aspides already makes a crucial contribution in protecting shipping in the Red Sea but its activities could also be extended to the strait,&#8221; Kallas said after a meeting of European Union defence ministers.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Kallas said that some countries were already promising to contribute more ships to the mission and that could help if the decision is taken to extend its scope.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T16:58:22+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 18:58<\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T16:01:23+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 18:01<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon to quit direct talks with Israel<\/h2>\n<p>The leader of Lebanon\u2019s militant Hezbollah group called on the government Tuesday to withdraw from direct talks with Israel, calling them a concession and urging \u201cindirect negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold two days of talks in Washington starting Thursday in an attempt to end the latest fighting that broke out two months ago, following the Iran war, and discuss the future of relations between the two sides that have been at war since Israel was created in 1948.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Naim Kassem said in a letter directed to the group\u2019s officials that direct negotiations benefit Israel and that they are \u201cconcessions by Lebanese authorities.\u201d He said Lebanon\u2019s government should instead resort to indirect negotiations with Israel, as in previous years, such as when a ceasefire was reached in November 2024.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Indirect talks are usually done through a third party.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T15:33:08+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 17:33<\/time><\/p>\n<h2> Israel passes law establishing military tribunal for October 7 perpetrators<\/h2>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s parliament has passed a law to set up a special military tribunal to try hundreds of Palestinians accused of taking part in the October 7 2023 attack, under which they could be sentenced to death.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers said the step would help heal national trauma, though some rights groups have criticised the measure, warning it does away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T14:21:17+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 16:21<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Lithuania could contribute minesweeping capabilities to Hormuz mission, top military says<\/h2>\n<p>Lithuania \u200bcould \u200bcontribute minesweeping capabilities \u200band \u200cheadquarter \u2060capabilities \u200cto \u2060a Strait of Hormuz \u200bmission, \u200cLithuania&#8217;s \u200cChief \u200bof Defence General Raimundas Vaiksnoras \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T14:20:48+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 16:20<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Two Lebanese civil defence workers killed in Israeli strike on Nabatieh, state media says<\/h2>\n<p>Two \u2060Lebanese \u200bcivil \u200bdefence members were killed in \u200ban \u200cIsraeli \u2060strike \u200con the \u2060southern town of Nabatieh \u200bon \u200cTuesday while carrying \u200cout \u200ba rescue mission after an earlier \u200battack, \u200bLebanon&#8217;s \u200bstate news \u200bagency NNA reported.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T14:18:25+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 16:18<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>113 Nobel laureates call for Narges Mohammadi\u2019s &#8216;full and unconditional release&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p><span>Some 113 Nobel laureates have called for Narges Mohammadi\u2019s full and unconditional release following news the Iranian rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner has been transferred to hospital in Tehran due to her deteriorating health condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>Prior to being hospitalised, Mohammadi was being held in Zanjan prison in north Iran where her supporters accuse the Iranian authorities of subjecting her to &#8220;life threatening negligence&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span>\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T13:34:29+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 15:34<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Qatar says Iran should not use Hormuz to &#8216;blackmail&#8217; Gulf<\/h2>\n<p>Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the Middle East war, as a means to blackmail Gulf states, Qatar&#8217;s top diplomat and premier said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was speaking during a press conference in Doha with Turkey&#8217;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan &#8211; close allies who have emerged as key intermediaries in the Iran-US talks alongside mediator Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries,&#8221; the Qatari minister said.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Fidan also said the strait must not be &#8220;used as a weapon&#8221;, according to an Arabic translation of his Turkish comments.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world&#8217;s oil and natural gas usually passes, has also halted crucial maritime exports for the energy-rich Gulf, straining their economies.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T13:26:35+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 15:26<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>US war in Iran has cost $29 billion, Pentagon says<\/h2>\n<p>The \u200bUnited States&#8217; \u200bwar in Iran has cost $29 billion so \u200bfar, \u200ca \u2060senior Pentagon \u200cofficial said on Tuesday, an \u2060increase of $4 billion from \u200ban estimate provided \u200clate last month.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Jules Hurst, who \u200cis performing \u200bthe duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers that \u200bthe cost \u200bincluded updated repair \u200band replacement of \u200bequipment and operational costs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T13:25:00+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 15:25<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Iran&#8217;s Guards hold military drills in capital as ceasefire teeters<\/h2>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guards held military exercises in capital Tehran to prepare for any confrontation, state media reported Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump warned a ceasefire in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The drills involved the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran&#8217;s military, as well as the Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with the Guards, according to state TV.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Enhancing combat capability to confront any movement of the American-Zionist enemy was one of the goals and scenarios implemented in this drill, which was successfully carried out,&#8221; Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Tehran Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by state TV.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T13:07:17+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 15:07<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>Hegseth faces a new round of questioning from Congress on Iran war<\/h2>\n<p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a new round of questioning from lawmakers over the Iran war Tuesday, including some Republicans who have expressed concerns over the length of the conflict and its lack of congressional approval.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The powerful House and Senate subcommittees that oversee defense spending are holding back-to-back hearings to review the Trump administration\u2019s 2027 military budget proposal, which calls for a historic allocation of $1.5 trillion. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>But the discussions are expected to veer into the handling of a war that appears locked in a stalemate as higher fuel prices pose political problems for Republicans in the midterm congressional elections.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The House subcommittee kicked off its 8 am hearing with questions about the impact of the Iran war on funding as well as the US military&#8217;s weapons stockpiles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.eu.getarena.im\/cm\/6a0325d26e3077ac85072bc5.jpg\"><em class=\"ql-size-small\">(Hegseth testifies at a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing for the Department of Defense in Washington. \u00a9 Alex Brandon, AP)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T12:59:34+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 14:59<\/time><\/p>\n<h2> Iranians mourn children killed in US bombing of school<\/h2>\n<p>On February 28, a missile strike hit a school in Minab in Hormozgan Province, killing 155 people, including 120 children. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The incident remains the deadliest single attack in the Iran war so far and, according to reports in US media,  a preliminary American military investigation found that the strike was made in error: the actual target was an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guards Military Base. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>FRANCE 24&#8217;s correspondent Ali al-Basha gained rare access to the bombsite, and brings us this report.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n                        <time datetime=\"2026-05-12T12:36:40+00:00\">12\/05\/2026 &#8211; 14:36<\/time><\/p>\n<h2>NATO&#8217;s Rutte &#8216;extremely optimistic&#8217; about future of alliance<\/h2>\n<p>NATO \u2060Secretary General \u200bMark Rutte has said he \u200bis &#8220;extremely optimistic&#8221; about the future of the alliance, despite &#8220;discussions&#8221; over how the alliance may help the situation in the Strait \u200cof Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;When you look at \u200bthe \u200cshort term, of \u2060course there are discussions, about Iran, \u200cand how we make sure that \u2060allies in Europe will be able to help with \u200bsituations in the Strait \u200cof Hormuz,&#8221; Rutte said during a press conference in Montenegro.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When \u200cit comes to the more fundamental \u200bquestion of NATO&#8217;s future, I&#8217;m extremely optimistic,&#8221; he added, as he \u200breferred to commitments by European \u200ballies and Canada to \u200bmassively increase their defence spending.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260510-live-iran-s-guards-threaten-us-sites-in-the-region-if-its-tankers-come-under-fire\" target=\"_self\">Yesterday&#8217;s key developments:<\/a><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2060Iran&#8217;s proposal \u200bto end the war with \u200bthe US and reopen the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a> was \u200blegitimate \u200cand generous, Foreign \u2060Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said, adding that the US \u2060continues to uphold unreasonable and one-sided demands.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/united-kingdom\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">UK<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/france\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">France<\/a> will on Tuesday host a multinational meeting of defence ministers on military plans to restore trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the British government said.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran<\/a>&#8216;s stockpile of enriched uranium must be &#8220;taken out&#8221; before the US-Israeli war against Iran can be considered over, Israeli Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> told an American broadcaster on Sunday.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0\u2060United Arab \u200bEmirates has \u200bcarried\u00a0out military strikes on Iran, the \u200bWall \u200cStreet\u00a0\u2060Journal reported\u00a0on Monday, \u200cciting people familiar with\u00a0\u2060the matter. The strikes, which the \u200bUAE has \u200cnot publicly acknowledged,\u00a0included an attack \u200con a refinery \u200bon Iran&#8217;s Lavan Island in the\u00a0Persian Gulf, \u200bWSJ said, \u200badding that \u200bthe attack took place \u200bin\u00a0early April.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__below-main\">\n<div class=\"t-content__tags\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran\">    Iran<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Donald Trump\">    Donald Trump<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/united-kingdom\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"UK\">    UK<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/france\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"France\">    France<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Strait of Hormuz\">    Strait of Hormuz<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/military\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"military\">    military<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran should not use Hormuz to \u2018blackmail\u2019 Gulf, Qatar says As it happened Middle East&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=448"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":564,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448\/revisions\/564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}