Dubai, Mar 23 (AP) President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US will hold off on striking the power plant for five more days.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social site hours ahead of his previous deadline. Trump said the US and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations” that could yield “a complete and total resolution” in the war. Talks will continue “throughout the week,” Trump said. Iran’s foreign ministry denied that any negotiations with the US have taken place, and called on Washington to de-escalate tensions.
Iran had earlier threatened to strike regional power plants and float mines in the Persian Gulf if Trump goes ahead with his threat to bomb Iranian energy stations or order a land invasion. Gulf nations depend on the power plants to desalinate the water its citizens need to survive.
The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 US military members, as well as a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Here is the latest: UN peacekeepers say their headquarters in Lebanon was struck ———————————————————————— The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said Monday that a building at its headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura was struck by a projectile. The UN said it believes it “was fired by a non-state actor,” an apparent reference to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces have fought at multiple points along the border since Israel launched a renewed ground incursion into southern Lebanon. The UNIFIL statement said that “over the past 48 hours, peacekeepers have recorded intense gunfire and explosions” in the Naqoura area, and “bullets, fragments, and shrapnel have hit buildings and open areas inside our headquarters. … As a result, peacekeepers have been restricted to shelters to avoid injury.” UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said peacekeepers have also observed or heard ground combat around the villages of Khiam, Odaisseh, Mays al-Jabal, Markaba and Taybeh.
Russia will evacuate more personnel from Iran’s nuclear plant ———————————————————————– The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Monday it will evacuate more workers from Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant but will also keep some.
Alexei Likhachev, who said last week that Rosatom had 480 workers at the plant in Bushehr, announced that evacuations this week will leave just a few dozen Rosatom workers at the plant.
Last week, Likhachev reported a strike hit close to the working nuclear reactor without causing damage or injuries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia had urged the US to avoid hitting the plant, warning it could trigger “irreparable” consequences.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denies negotiations with the US, state-owned IRAN newspaper says ————————————————————————————————————– “Remarks by the US president are part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans”, the newspaper said.
“While there have been initiatives by regional countries to de-escalate tensions, Iran’s response has been clear: It did not start the war, and all such requests should be directed to Washington.” Global shares jump after Trump announces progress on Iran ———————————————————————- US markets reversed course and shot higher before the opening bell, and oil futures tumbled after Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz. He said the US would hold off on strikes against Iranian power plants and other energy infrastructure.
Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 2.6 per cent before the opening bell. Oil prices tumbled as much as 10 per cent at one point. Benchmark US crude slid USD 8.23 to USD 90 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, tumbled USD 9.02 to USD 103.17 a barrel.
Benchmark Brent crude rapidly fell after Trump’s announcement, but rebounded to just over USD 100 a barrel —————————————————————————————————————————- Shortly after Trump’s announcement, the Israeli military said it was carrying out another wave of strikes on targets in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
2 Iranian news agencies close to the Revolutionary Guard claim no negotiations between Tehran and the US ————————————————————————————————————————— Two Iranian semiofficial news agencies close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that there had been no negotiations — direct or indirect — with Washington as described by Trump.
The Fars and Tasnim news agencies instead portrayed the American president as backing down due to Iran’s threats.
“Since the start of the war, messages have been sent to Tehran by some mediators, but Iran’s clear response has been that it will continue its defence until the required level of deterrence is achieved,” Tasnim’s report said. “No negotiations have taken place, and none are underway. … With this kind of psychological warfare, neither the Strait of Hormuz will return to prewar conditions nor will calm return to energy markets.” Trump’s postponement of the Strait of Hormuz deadline is the latest switch ————————————————————————————- Trump’s announcement of “productive conversations” with Iran and the postponement of a deadline for the country to reopen the strait is only the latest shift from a leader who has often been contradictory in his objectives.
Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform on Monday said he would hold off on strikes for five days amid talks with Iran, roughly 12 hours ahead of the previous deadline he had set.
The president sometimes contradicts himself in the same speech, social media post or even sentence. His mixed signals about the Iran war on Friday raised more questions about his administration’s strategy. (AP) SKS SKS
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