Contradictions in Washington statements on Iran as Trump says no talks planned, Tehran says Strait of Hormuz still shut

Contradictions in Washington statements on Iran as Trump says no talks planned, Tehran says Strait of Hormuz still shut

A temporary ceasefire agreement expired on Monday and a senior Iranian official said that his country was moving to a “fully offensive” military posture due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of fresh strikes by either side on Tuesday.

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Iran war hits Trump as approval rating drops to 33 per cent, lowest of his presidency

Iran war hits Trump as approval rating drops to 33 per cent, lowest of his presidency

Some 80 per cent of Americans – including 87 per cent of Democrats and 71 per cent of Republicans – think US involvement in Iran “will go on for an extended period of time,” the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Just 16 per cent said the conflict would likely end in a few weeks.

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Iran warns that it will go on offensive in Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy with US fails

Iran warns that it will go on offensive in Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy with US fails

There was no immediate response to those comments from Washington, but U.S. President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News on Monday that Iran “should put up the white flag of surrender”.

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Trump tells Americans to brace for higher fuel prices after unrepentant Iran told Washington to accept defeat

Trump tells Americans to brace for higher fuel prices after unrepentant Iran told Washington to accept defeat

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran had not decided to resume talks with the US. He told Iranian news outlet Shahrara News in an interview published on Saturday that Washington must meet conditions on the strait in order for shipping to resume in the waterway that handled one-fifth of the world’s oil ⁠before the war.

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What looks like ‘forever war’ in Middle East raises fears that the world oil stocks are not big enough to weather another six months of conflict

What looks like ‘forever war’ in Middle East raises fears that the world oil stocks are not big enough to weather another six months of conflict

The head of Saudi Aramco believes the world has lost 2.6 billion barrels of oil since the start of the war, making it the largest supply disruption ever in cumulative terms apart from the 1979 Iranian revolution, according to Reuters calculations. That amounts to a massive 25 days of global consumption based on pre-war global oil demand of 103 million barrels per day.

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Sewage swamps and dilapidated tents typify lives of displaced Gazans plagued by skin diseases

Sewage swamps and dilapidated tents typify lives of displaced Gazans plagued by skin diseases

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the housing crisis has reached a “catastrophic and unprecedented stage,” with about 410,000 housing units destroyed and more than 350,000 families in need of temporary shelter.

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How US Secret Service sneaked Trump out of Turkey after  Iran’s assassination plot leaked at NATO summit

How US Secret Service sneaked Trump out of Turkey after Iran’s assassination plot leaked at NATO summit

Trump had flown to the annual gathering of NATO country leaders in Ankara, Turkey, in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead.

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Iran questions US President Trump’s commitment to permanent peace in Middle East as ‘all talk and no action’ persists

Iran questions US President Trump’s commitment to permanent peace in Middle East as ‘all talk and no action’ persists

The US accuses Iran of failing to honour an agreement under the deal to reopen the ⁠vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Tehran says Washington has reneged on its commitments, including lifting a blockade of Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

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Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba unveils statue of Netanyahu’s brother killed in 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue

Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba unveils statue of Netanyahu’s brother killed in 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue

The statue is outside the airport terminal in the town of Entebbe where Lt-Col Yonatan Netanyahu was struck by a bullet as he led Israeli commandos in a mission to rescue 106 passengers who had been taken hostage on an Air France flight.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lawmakers war in Iran has cost the Washington $37.5 billion so far

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lawmakers war in Iran has cost the Washington $37.5 billion so far

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have complained since the US and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28 that Trump and his team have not kept them informed about the conflict or his plans.

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