Iran war day 73: Trump and Tehran clash over latest peace proposals

EXPLAINER

Brent crude rises amid a continuing deadlock arsenic Trump describes Iran’s effect arsenic ‘totally unacceptable’.

Diplomatic efforts to forge a bid woody betwixt the United States and Iran look to person deed a wall, with each broadside accusing the different of making unreasonable demands, adjacent arsenic continuing tensions successful the Strait of Hormuz are sending lipid prices to caller highs.

The US-Israel warfare connected Iran entered its 73rd time connected Monday. Late connected Sunday, US President Donald Trump flatly rejected Iran’s latest connection to extremity the warfare without giving immoderate reason. Days aft the US floated an connection successful the hopes of reopening negotiations, Iran connected Sunday released a effect focused connected ending the warfare connected each fronts, particularly successful Lebanon.

Oil prices climbed aft Trump’s latest comments, with the planetary benchmark Brent crude up 2.69 percent to $104.01 a tube by 23:36 GMT connected Sunday.

Tehran’s connection included ending the naval blockade and lifting US and planetary sanctions, portion preserving Iran’s power implicit its nuclear programme and overseas argumentation — the issues Washington cited erstwhile launching the war.

Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s connection “totally unacceptable”, portion Iranian authorities media said the US program amounted to “Iran’s surrender to Trump’s greed”.

On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two drones coming from Iran, portion Qatar condemned a drone onslaught successful its waters connected a cargo vessel coming from Abu Dhabi. Kuwait said its aerial defences had dealt with hostile drones that entered its airspace.

Here is what we cognize astir what’s been happening successful the past 24 hours:

In Iran

• Iran executed a man, Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, convicted of spying for US and Israeli quality services, the judiciary’s Mizan quality outlet reported connected Monday. It said Shakourzadeh worked astatine a technological organisation progressive successful outer activities and had shared classified technological accusation with overseas quality services. He was arrested past year.

War diplomacy

• EU overseas ministers conscionable successful Brussels: Foreign ministers of European Union nations are gathering successful the Belgian superior to sermon the warfare connected Iran arsenic good arsenic the Ukraine war.
• Trump-Xi meeting: Trump is acceptable to get successful Beijing connected Wednesday evening to sermon the war connected Iran and different issues with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

In the US

• Surveys amusement that the warfare is unpopular with US voters, who are facing sharply higher petrol prices little than six months earlier midterm elections that volition find whether Trump’s Republican Party retains power of Congress.

In Lebanon

• Israel is carrying retired aerial raids connected the towns of Kfar Tebnit and Choukine, according to Al Jazeera Arabic, contempt a US-brokered ceasefire announced connected April 16.
• Two Lebanese medics and a civilian were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected exigency effect centres successful Bint Jbeil.
• The Israeli subject has announced the decease of Alexander Glovanyov, 47, an service driver. He was killed successful combat adjacent the borderline with Lebanon.

Global economy

• Oil prices up: Oil prices roseate by much than $4 a tube connected Monday pursuing quality of the continued stalemate that leaves the constrictive Strait of Hormuz mostly closed. Before the warfare began connected February 28, the waterway carried one-fifth of the world’s lipid and liquefied earthy state flows, and has emerged arsenic 1 of the cardinal unit points successful the war.
• Tankers transit the strait: While postulation done the Strait of Hormuz is astatine a trickle compared with pre-war times, shipping information from Kpler and LSEG showed 3 tankers laden with crude exited the waterway past week, with their trackers switched disconnected to debar Iranian attack.
• Dollar gains: The US dollar precocious for a 2nd time against its large peers successful Asian commercialized connected Monday, supported by beardown jobs information and safe-haven request driven by a shaky ceasefire.
• Gold falls: Gold prices fell connected Monday, arsenic a deficiency of advancement successful US-Iran bid negotiations pushed lipid prices higher, fuelling concerns that elevated ostentation could support involvement rates higher for longer.