Al Jazeera reports: Diplomatic efforts to forge a peace deal between the United States and Iran appear to have hit a wall, with each side accusing the other of making unreasonable demands, even as continuing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are sending oil prices to new highs.The US-Israel war on Iran entered its 73rd day on Monday. Late on Sunday, US President Donald Trump flatly rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war without giving any reason. Kuwait said its air defences had dealt with hostile drones that entered its airspace.Here is what we know about what’s been happening in the past 24 hours:In Iran Iran executed a man, Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, convicted of spying for US and Israeli intelligence services, the judiciary’s Mizan news outlet reported on Monday.
It said Shakourzadeh worked at a scientific organisation involved in satellite activities and had shared classified scientific information with foreign intelligence services. He was arrested last year. Advertisement War diplomacy EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels: Foreign ministers of European Union nations are meeting in the Belgian capital to discuss the war on Iran as well as the Ukraine war.
Background
Trump-Xi meeting: Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening to discuss the war on Iran and other issues with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. In the US Surveys show that the war is unpopular with US voters, who are facing sharply higher petrol prices less than six months before midterm elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress. In Lebanon Israel is carrying out air raids on the towns of Kfar Tebnit and Choukine, according to Al Jazeera Arabic, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16.
Key facts
- Late on Sunday, US President Donald Trump flatly rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war without giving any reason.
- It said Shakourzadeh worked at a scientific organisation involved in satellite activities and had shared classified scientific information with foreign intelligence services.
- Trump-Xi meeting: Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening to discuss the war on Iran and other issues with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
What this means
Two Lebanese medics and a civilian were killed in an Israeli attack on emergency response centres in Bint Jbeil. The Israeli military has announced the death of Alexander Glovanyov, 47, an army driver. He was killed in combat near the border with Lebanon.
Global economy Oil prices up: Oil prices rose by more than $4 a barrel on Monday following news of the continued stalemate that leaves the narrow Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Before the war began on February 28, the waterway carried one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows, and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war. Tankers transit the strait: While traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared with pre-war times, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed three tankers laden with crude exited the waterway last week, with their trackers switched off to avoid Iranian attack.
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
