• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Lebanese and Israeli military commanders in Washington D.C. on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
• Israel has signaled that negotiations will focus on disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Hezbollah has called on the Lebanese government to withdraw from talks with Israel.
• The latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on March 2, following the US-Iran military exchange, making the diplomatic effort a high-stakes initiative for regional stability.
President has long been a fan of mixed martial artsIvanka and Donald Trump Jr also at eventDonald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio attended a UFC event in Miami night on Saturday as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world.Trump entered the Kaseya Center shortly after 9pm alongside several members of his family and UFC chief Dana White, who has been a supporter of the president since his first term. Seated nearby was Rubio as well as US ambassador to India Sergio Gor, the rapper Vanilla Ice and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino. Continue reading...
US president says responsibility for reopening strait of Hormuz rests on countries relying on it; secretary of state says Washington must review whether Nato alliance is still serving the US well‘Get your own oil’: Trump launches tirade against Europe for not joining Iran warAustralia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers has unveiled a suite of Covid-era support measures for businesses struggling with soaring fuel prices, while Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese is set to address the nation in the latest sign the government is preparing for a more severe economic downturn from the war.“The war in the Middle East is having an extreme impact on the global economy. Australians and Australian small businesses are paying the price for that,” the treasurer told reporters on Wednesday.Two-thirds of Americans believe that the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.Asian markets rose sharply early on Wednesday after US stocks soared to their best day in almost a year on renewed hopes that the Iran war could soon end. South Korea’s Kospi surged 6.4% in early trading, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 1.9%, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.4% higher.Thousands of additional US troops are heading to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush deployed on Tuesday and is slated to travel to the region along with three destroyers, two US officials said. The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 personnel.The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had identified the launch of a missile from Yemen towards Israel. It said defence systems were operating to intercept the missile.Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said areas in northern, eastern and central Tehran were under attack on Wednesday morning. The broadcaster said on Telegram that explosions were heard in the capital’s north, east and centre, reporting “attacks on Tehran” without immediately providing more details.A drone attack has sparked a large fire at Kuwait international airport, according to its state news agency, which said no casualties had been reported, while in the last few hours Saudi Arabia has said it intercepted and destroyed two drones. Bahrain also said early on Wednesday that it was working to extinguish a fire at a business facility that resulted from an Iranian attack. A tanker also came under attack off the coast of Qatar early on Wednesday, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre.Israeli strikes in southern Beirut and a nearby area have killed seven people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.An American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the US said. The journalist was identified as Shelly Kittleson, a freelancer, by media advocacy groups as well as Al-Monitor, one of the news outlets for which she worked.The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the US open the strait of Hormuz by force. Citing Arab officials, the newspaper reported the UAE is lobbying for a UN security council resolution that would authorise such action. Continue reading...
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers on Friday that the ongoing military conflict with Iran will continue for another two to four weeks, according to sources cited by Axios.
• The timeline represents official U.S. government assessment of the expected duration of military operations in the region amid escalating tensions and ground operation preparations.
• This projection comes as the U.S. expands military presence and considers multiple operational options in the Persian Gulf region.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US conflict with Iran would extend another two to four weeks, while signaling no immediate plans for a ground operation into Iranian territory.
• Rubio identified preventing Iran from imposing tolls on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz as the biggest post-conflict challenge, characterizing such action as illegal and dangerous to global commerce.
• The statement comes as the US deploys additional troops to the region following an Iranian missile and drone attack that injured 12 American service members at a Saudi base.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 27 the operation against Iran is on or ahead of schedule, set to end in weeks not months, without needing ground troops.
• Rubio reported progress with G7 allies in France countering Iranian threats to toll Hormuz vessels.
• Assurance aims to calm domestic concerns over prolonged engagement.
Secretary of state’s remarks come as Israel threatens to expand its attacks on Iran and Tehran’s missiles and drones target IsraelMiddle East crisis – live updatesWashington expects its operation against Iran to conclude in “weeks, not months”, the US secretary of state has said, despite spiralling violence across the region and a threat from Israel to “escalate and expand” its attacks against the Islamic republic.“When we are done with them here in the next couple weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history,” Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday after meeting G7 foreign ministers in France. Continue reading...
