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China offers $200,000 emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran after school attack.
Iran says death toll of US-Israeli strikes reaches 1,230.
Iran's IRGC official says will burn any ship trying to pass through Strait of Horm.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar expressed hope on Saturday that all parties involved in the ongoing conflict would engage constructively to advance efforts toward a peaceful resolution, the Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, the deputy prime minister reiterated Pakistan's willingness to continue facilitating the parties in achieving a lasting and durable solution, underscoring the importance of dialogue and cooperation in resolving disputes.
The statement came after the US delegation arrived in Pakistan on Saturday. The Iranian team reached Pakistan earlier. The two sides are expected to have a negotiation here to end recent hostilities in the Middle East.
US Vice-President Vance arrives in Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD --?US delegates led by Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan on Saturday morning for talks with Iran, according to sources.
The US team also includes US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are in a separate plane landing at the Nur Khan airbase.
The Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf arrived here early Saturday for talks with the United States to end the hostilities in the Middle East. However, distrust between the two adversaries still shadows their peace talks scheduled for later on the day.
Negotiators from the United States and Iran prepared on Friday for high-level talks scheduled to kick off a day later in Pakistan, seeking to stabilize a fragile two-week ceasefire teetering amid Israel's refusal to halt operations in Lebanon and deep rifts between Tehran and Washington over truce terms.
The talks could last up to 15 days, addressing several sensitive points, including Iran's nuclear enrichment and the free flow of trade through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. But even as security was ramped up in Islamabad for the talks, Iran has signaled that its participation would hinge on a halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
US Vice-President JD Vance was set to lead the US delegation, with Iran still remaining tight-lipped about its team as officials said Israel's strikes in Lebanon had rendered the Pakistan talks "meaningless".
"The holding of talks to end the war is dependent on the US adhering to its ceasefire commitments on all fronts, especially in Lebanon," said Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Late on Thursday, US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the truce, writing on social media: "Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!"
Highlighting Iran's control of the strait, a Botswana-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker attempted to travel out of the Gulf via a route designated by the Revolutionary Guard but suddenly turned around and headed back early on Friday, ship-tracking data showed.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran will move the management of the strait into a new phase, as the Iranian people have achieved a "decisive victory" in the war, marking the 40th day since the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei — who was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the conflict.
The strait's de facto closure has caused oil prices to skyrocket — affecting the cost of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East. The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was around $96 on Friday, up about 35 percent since the war began.
Darkening outlook
Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, warned on Thursday that the Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy, whether or not the fragile ceasefire holds.
"Had it not been for this shock, we would have been upgrading global growth," she said in remarks ahead of next week's IMF-World Bank spring meetings. "But now, even our most hopeful scenario involves a growth downgrade."
Meanwhile, Iran's Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned on Thursday that continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would bring "explicit costs and strong responses". He has been seen as a possible negotiator who could meet Vance in Islamabad.
On Wednesday, Israel's heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Feb 28 killed more than 300 people, rattling the uneasy truce between Washington and Tehran. Early on Friday morning, Israel's military said it struck 10 more rocket launchers in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Kuwait said it faced a drone attack on Thursday night that it blamed on Iran. But Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching any assault in the region.
In addition to the Pakistan talks, Israel-Lebanon negotiations are also expected to begin next week in Washington.
However, Abed Abou Shhadeh, a political analyst and activist based in Jaffa, Israel, said the ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran are "extremely problematic" for Israel.
Notably, he said Israel is not "interested in any form of diplomacy or negotiations with Lebanon", citing recent polls published in Israeli media showing that 79 percent of the public supports continuing military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.
Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn.
ISLAMABAD -- A high-level Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the upcoming talks with the United States, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The delegation also includes Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
According to the statement, the Iranian delegation was received upon arrival by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Syed Asim Munir and Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
Ishaq Dar expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan's willingness to continue facilitating efforts toward a lasting and durable solution to the conflict.
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the negotiation delegations from the United States and Iran would hold talks on Saturday to find a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict.
A temporary ceasefire has been announced, and the next and hard phase is for permanent peace via talks, Sharif said in an address.
The Pakistani leadership will make the best of its efforts to make the talks a success, he added.
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said the outcomes of negotiations with Iran will be clear "in about 24 hours," the New York Post reported Friday.
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with the news outlet shortly after Vice-President JD Vance left Washington for talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan.
"We're going to find out in about 24 hours. We're going to know soon," Trump said, threatening that US warships are being reloaded to resume strikes on Iran if peace talks in Pakistan fail.
"We have a reset going," he said. "We're loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made -- even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart."
"If we don't have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively," Trump threatened.
The United States, Iran and Israel have all claimed victory in the war. Analysts believe the current ceasefire is fragile and that competing interests and long-standing differences would make it difficult to reach a permanent peace deal in the upcoming negotiations.
On the US side, the talks are expected to focus on Washington's demands that Iran hand over an estimated 1,000 pounds of deeply buried enriched uranium and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, according to the New York Post.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Friday demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations with the United States. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has also called on the United States to fulfill its commitments under the ceasefire regarding the necessity to stop Israel's attacks against Lebanon, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The Strait of Hormuz handles one-fifth of global oil and gas. As US-Israeli strikes on Iran escalated, shipping came to a standstill. Although a temporary ceasefire was reached, the waterway has not yet resumed normal traffic. For the safety of civilian lives and the fragile global economy, restoring peace and stability in the region is urgent.
Negotiators from the United States and Iran prepared on Friday for high-level talks scheduled to kick off a day later in Pakistan, seeking to steady a fragile two-week ceasefire teetering amid Israel's refusal to halt operations in Lebanon and deep rifts between Tehran and Washington over truce terms.
The talks are expected to last up to 15 days, addressing several sensitive points, including Iran's nuclear enrichment and the free flow of trade through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. But even as security was ramped up in Islamabad for the talks, Iran has signaled that its participation would hinge on a halt of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
US Vice-President JD Vance is set to lead the US delegation, with Iran still tight-lipped about its team as officials said Israel's strikes in Lebanon have rendered the Pakistan talks "meaningless".
"The holding of talks to end the war is dependent on the US adhering to its ceasefire commitments on all fronts, especially in Lebanon," said Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Late on Thursday, US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the truce, stating on social media: "Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!"
Highlighting Iran's control of the strait, a Botswana-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker attempted to exit the Persian Gulf via a route designated by the Revolutionary Guard but suddenly turned back early on Friday, ship-tracking data showed.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran will move the management of the strait into a new phase, as the Iranian people have achieved a "decisive victory" in the war, marking the 40th day since the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei — who was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the conflict.
The strait's de facto closure has caused oil prices to skyrocket — affecting the cost of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East. The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was around $96 on Friday, up about 35 percent since the war began.
Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, warned on Thursday that the Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy — whether or not the fragile ceasefire holds.
"Had it not been for this shock, we would have been upgrading global growth," she said in remarks ahead of next week's IMF-World Bank spring meetings. "But now, even our most hopeful scenario involves a growth downgrade."
Meanwhile, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned on Thursday that continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would bring "explicit costs and strong responses". He has been seen as a possible negotiator who could meet Vance in Islamabad.
On Wednesday, Israel's heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Feb 28 killed more than 300 people, rattling the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran. Early on Friday morning, Israel's military said it struck 10 more rocket launchers in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Kuwait said it faced a drone attack on Thursday night that it blamed on Iran. But Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching any assault in the region.
In addition to the Pakistan talks, Israel-Lebanon negotiations are slated to begin next week in Washington — a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts — according to a US State Department official.
However, Abid Abou Shhadeh, a political analyst and activist based in Jaffa, Israel, said the ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran are "extremely problematic" for Israel.
Notably, he said Israel is not "interested in any form of diplomacy or negotiations with Lebanon", citing recent polls published in Israeli media showing that 79 percent of the public supports continuing military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.
cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan has stepped up security and logistical preparations as delegations from the United States and Iran are expected to arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes talks aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East following a recently announced two-week ceasefire.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday that a comprehensive plan has been prepared to ensure foolproof security for all visiting foreign delegates.
The negotiations are expected to bring together senior officials from both countries as part of diplomatic efforts to reach a longer-term settlement after weeks of escalating conflict.
According to Iran's Students' News Agency, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will lead the Tehran delegation for talks with US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad. The White House confirmed that the US team will include senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with the first round of negotiations expected on Saturday.
Analysts said Pakistan-facilitated talks face cautious optimism, saying that both sides have suffered heavy military, political, and economic losses, creating pressure for a negotiated settlement.
Authorities in Islamabad have introduced sweeping security measures ahead of the talks. Local holidays have been declared in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to facilitate arrangements. Police, paramilitary troops, and other security agencies are deployed under the Blue Book VVIP protocol, with separate routes designated for the movement of foreign delegations.
Islamabad Police issued a traffic advisory warning commuters of diversions on the Express Highway. Rescue services and hospitals have been placed on high alert. Serena Hotel, a five-star property in the Red Zone, has been reserved exclusively for the delegations, while several entry points to the capital will remain sealed during their stay.
Despite the ceasefire, several contentious issues are expected to dominate the negotiations.
One major point is the future of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor through which a significant portion of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
Sanctions relief is another central issue, with Iran seeking the lifting of sanctions imposed on it, which have severely restricted its economy and international financial transactions.
Differences also persist over uranium enrichment. Iran insists on maintaining its program for civilian nuclear energy purposes, while Washington has reiterated that it seeks strict limits on the activity.
To bring both sides to the negotiating table, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar have held consultations with regional leaders and maintained diplomatic contacts with both Tehran and Washington. Analysts said the country's neutrality, backed by longstanding ties with all stakeholders, gives it unique leverage in promoting dialogue.
Tughral Yamin, retired brigadier and a regional security analyst, described Pakistan's success in convening the talks as "a remarkable achievement," noting that bringing two deeply distrustful parties together was once considered improbable. "It demonstrates ambition and a willingness to take risks in pursuit of peace," he said.
He said the real challenge lies in shaping a mutually acceptable outcome, requiring pragmatism, flexibility, and careful concessions.
Officials and analysts expressed the hope that the talks could mark a critical step toward reducing tensions in one of the world's most volatile regions.
TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday warned the United States against allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "kill diplomacy," as a fragile ceasefire took hold following 40 days of fighting.
In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi said, "Netanyahu's criminal trial resumes on Sun(day). A region-wide ceasefire, incl(uding) in Lebanon, would hasten his jailing."
He added that if the United States lets Netanyahu "kill diplomacy, that would ultimately be its choice. We think that would be dumb but are prepared for it."
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that "time is running out," stressing that Lebanon and the "resistance axis" are "inseparable" parts of the ceasefire.
Also on Thursday, Araghchi discussed the ceasefire with his Russian, French, Spanish and German counterparts in separate phone calls, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Araghchi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Iran took a responsible approach, and that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, promised for two weeks under the ceasefire, will be provided if the United States adheres to its commitments.
In a call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Araghchi expressed regret over Israeli ceasefire violations and attacks on Lebanon, urging international action. Barrot welcomed the ceasefire and stressed the need to stop Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the attacks on Iran "illegal," and urged all parties to remain committed to the diplomatic path.
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on Wednesday, with peace talks scheduled to begin later this week in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Iranian side will be reportedly headed by Qalibaf.
Israel has said the ceasefire does not cover the conflict in Lebanon, a position disputed by Iran and mediator Pakistan. Hours after the ceasefire came into effect, Israel launched its largest single-day attack on Lebanon, which has killed more than 300 and injured over 1,100.
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Iran to stop charging fees to tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz if the country is doing so.
"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait -- They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
A day earlier, Trump told ABC News he is weighing to set up a "joint venture" with Iran to charge tolls from vessels passing through the crucial waterway through which about 20 percent of global oil is transported, calling it "a beautiful thing."
He also said on social media on Wednesday that "big money" could be made by the US "helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz."
Iran demands oil tankers pay a transit toll of 1 US dollar per barrel for passing through the strait, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Marine traffic in the strait remained at a trickle. For the first time since the ceasefire was reached on Tuesday, two non-Iranian oil tankers were tracked crossing the strait, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing ship-tracking firm Kpler.
The Middle East teetered between hope and despair on Thursday, within a day of a two-week ceasefire being announced, as the United States and Iran accused each other of violating the terms of the truce, Israel intensified its bombardment of Lebanon, and Iran continued its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
In a social media post late on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that US forces would remain around Iran until "the real agreement reached is fully complied with".
He said these would include all US ships, aircraft, military personnel with additional ammunition, and "anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already degraded enemy".
Noting that the terms of a tentative truce are "clear and explicit", Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on social media that "the US must choose" between a "ceasefire or continued war via Israel", emphasizing that "it cannot have both".
"The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," he added.
On Wednesday, Israel launched widespread strikes in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon, killing more than 250 people. The death toll was the highest for a single day in Lebanon during more than five weeks of renewed war between Israel and the Hezbollah group, The Associated Press reported.
Iran has called the Israeli strikes a blatant violation of the ceasefire terms, which it said include a stop to the fighting in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump have said the terms do not include the issue of Lebanon.
Amid looming uncertainty in the Middle East, China has called on relevant parties to stay calm and exercise self-restraint and de-escalate the situation in the region.
"Lebanon's sovereignty and security should not be violated. Civilians and their property must be protected," Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday at a daily news briefing in Beijing.
"We hope relevant parties will seize the opportunity for peace, bridge differences through dialogue and consultation, and work for restoring peace and stability to the region at an early date," she added.
In response to the latest attacks in Lebanon, Iran, which allowed a few vessels smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, is once again exercising its full control over the critical maritime corridor that typically handles one-fifth of global crude.
Semiofficial news agencies in Iran published a chart on Thursday suggesting the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has placed sea mines along the strait, as uncertainty hangs over the two-week ceasefire and further negotiations are expected in Islamabad, Pakistan.
"All vessels intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are advised to take alternative routes to ensure maritime safety and avoid potential sea mine hazards," the Revolutionary Guard said in a statement quoted by Xinhua News Agency.
Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal, condemned Israel's widespread attacks in Lebanon on Thursday, saying that these "undermined international efforts to establish peace and stability in the region". Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media that the US and its allies had agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, "including Lebanon".
The United Nations, France, Italy, Spain, Turkiye, Qatar and the United Kingdom have also condemned the strikes.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a statement that the ongoing military activity in Lebanon "poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region".
A statement released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel supports all US efforts to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear threat to the US, Israel, Arab states, and the rest of the world. "The two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon," it added.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday that it has "eliminated" Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, whom it called "a Hamas terrorist operating as an Al Jazeera journalist".
The IDF also claimed that it has killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, personal secretary to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in Beirut.
Meanwhile, several protests are scheduled across Israel this weekend to oppose the fighting in Lebanon, which organizers describe as "attempts by the Israeli government to undermine the ceasefire with Iran".
Amid this dizzying pace of events in the Middle East, US Vice-President J.D. Vance is expected to lead negotiators from Washington during the first round of talks with Iran in Pakistan on Friday.
Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com
In response to the airstrikes on Lebanon, China on Thursday called on all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint and to work toward de-escalating tensions in the region.
On Wednesday, Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting more than 100 locations across Lebanon within a 10-minute period.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday, "Lebanon's sovereignty and security should not be violated, and the safety of civilians' lives and property must be safeguarded."
Since the outbreak of the conflict, China has maintained communication with various parties and has been actively working to promote peace and prevent further conflict, the spokeswoman told a daily news conference in Beijing.
zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
Less than 24 hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, there were conflicting reports over whether the Strait of Hormuz was open, as well as if Lebanon was included in the agreement.
Iran accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement after Israel launched large attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 254?people and injuring hundreds, Lebanon's civil defense service said.
The Trump administration and Israel said that Lebanon was not part of the truce, while Iran said Lebanon was included.
Pakistan, which mediated the ceasefire, said the truce also covered Lebanon.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, said Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in the truce despite US and Israeli objections.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier on Wednesday that Vice-President JD Vance would lead the US team to negotiate with Iran?in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
However, Iran later suggested that it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with peace talks with the US, due to Israel ramping up its war with Hezbollah, Reuters reported.
"In such a situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations were unreasonable," Ghalibaf said in a statement.
The two sides also appeared far apart on Iran's nuclear program as well — one of the factors that US President Donald Trump cited as the basis for the war, Reuters reported.
"The United States will, working with Iran, dig up and remove all of the deeply buried ... Nuclear 'Dust'," Trump said on social media.
Ghalibaf, however, said Iran was allowed to continue enriching uranium under the terms of the ceasefire.
Iranian state media Fars News reported that tanker traffic was?suspended again on Wednesday afternoon as a response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Leavitt disputed the claim that Hormuz was closed during Wednesday's news briefing.
"We have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today, and I will reiterate President Trump's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly and safely. That is his expectation, and it has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place," said Leavitt.
When asked about China's role in mediating a truce, Leavitt responded: "With respect to China, there were conversations that took place between top levels of our government and China's government. The president has great respect for President Xi, and a great working relationship with him and with that country. He looks forward to visiting China in just a few weeks."
By 2 pm local time on Wednesday, only three bulk carriers — NJ Earth, Daytona Beach and Hai Long 1 — had passed through the strait, BBC reported. Close to 800 ships are stuck due to the closure.
Iran was reported to have been broadcasting messages to tankers in the Middle East Gulf that?they would be targeted with military strikes unless they first gained approval from Iranian authorities. "If any vessels try to transit without permission, will be destroyed," the message, broadcast in English,?said.
Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union — which works closely with the Iranian government — told the Financial Times on Wednesday that Iran wanted to collect tolls from any passing tanker and to assess each ship.
"Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren't used for transferring weapons," said Hosseini. "Everything can pass through, but the procedure will take time for each vessel, and Iran is not in a rush," he added.
Despite confusion over the ceasefire, US stock markets reacted positively to the truce: major indexes jumped by 2.5 to 2.8 percent, including the DJIA, S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com
UNITED NATIONS -- UN humanitarians on Wednesday voiced hope that the Middle East ceasefire could provide much-needed relief to civilians and frontline responders after more than five weeks of deadly hostilities.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it hoped the pause in fighting would ease pressure on communities after sustained attacks killed and injured many people and damaged electricity, water, energy and transportation facilities.
OCHA said that in Iran, the United Nations and partners, working alongside national authorities, are continuing to scale up assistance for refugees and others. Priorities include restoring basic services, protecting vulnerable groups, rehabilitating shelters and schools, and delivering critical supplies.
In Lebanon, displacement continues to drive humanitarian needs sharply higher, the office said, adding that newly issued displacement orders now cover the entire area south of the Zahrani River and Beirut's southern suburbs.
OCHA said that the UN Refugee Agency and its partners, in coordination with the Lebanese government, are supporting people fleeing the hostilities, providing access to shelter and essential items. However, it warned that conditions in collective shelters are deteriorating.
Overcrowding and limited sanitation facilities have led to confirmed cases of scabies and lice, posing heightened health and safety risks, especially for children and the elderly, it said.
The office said that health authorities have deployed medical teams, while humanitarian partners are providing clean water and medical and shelter supplies to help contain outbreaks and preserve people's dignity.
Still, OCHA cautioned that life-saving aid is under threat as funding gaps grow. Less than one-third of the 308 million US dollars required for the Lebanon Flash Appeal has been secured, jeopardizing the response at a time of surging needs.
In Gaza, UN partners report progress in routine immunization efforts despite ongoing constraints. A five-day vaccination campaign is underway to reach children under the age of 3 who have missed routine vaccinations over the past 30 months.
OCHA said the campaign is led by Gaza's health authorities and supported by the World Health Organization, the UN Children's Fund, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, donors and partners. Nearly 150 vaccination teams are operating, including in hard-to-reach locations.
On the diplomatic level, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire announcement late Tuesday, his spokesman said. "The secretary-general underscores that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, confirmed on Wednesday that Jean Arnault, the secretary-general's personal envoy for the Middle East conflict and its consequences, has arrived in Iran to support efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, stressing that "Lebanon must be fully covered by" the Middle East ceasefire.
France condemns "in the strongest possible terms" Israel's "indiscriminate strikes" in Lebanon on Wednesday that caused "a very high number of civilian casualties," Macron said on X after speaking by phone with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
These strikes "pose a direct threat to the sustainability of the ceasefire that has just been reached. Lebanon must be fully covered by it," Macron noted.
So far, the Israeli strike on Wednesday across Lebanon has killed at least 254 people and injured 1,165 others, with densely populated neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut, among the hardest hit, according to the latest data provided by the Lebanese Civil Defense.
Macron also spoke with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump Wednesday after the announcement of the ceasefire.
"I told both of them that their decision to accept a ceasefire was the best possible one," he said on X.
"I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon," Macron said.
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect early Wednesday. Israel claimed it would comply with the truce, but insisted the agreement does not cover Lebanon, although Pakistan, the mediator of the deal, said it does apply to Lebanon.
NEW DELHI -- Citing the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the Indian government on Wednesday announced it has postponed a global steel conference until further notice.
In view of the evolving global situation, including the ongoing West Asia crisis, and the inconvenience and hardship being caused to stakeholders due to this situation, it has been decided to postpone Bharat Steel 2026 until further notice, reads a statement issued by the steel ministry.
The Bharat Steel 2026 conference was scheduled for April 16-17 in New Delhi.
TEHRAN -- Oil tankers have been suspended from passing through the Strait of Hormuz following Israeli attack on Lebanon, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Wednesday.
The first ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's "permission" after a US-Iran truce took effect early on Wednesday, according to Iranian media. Ship-tracking service MarineTraffic also said on X that vessel movements resumed in the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire.
TEHRAN -- Iran remains distrustful of its adversaries and its military remains prepared to defend the country, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday, according to state media.
In a televised interview cited by Mehr News Agency, Mohajerani said Iran's armed forces and missile capabilities are ready to protect the nation and support its interests amid ongoing regional tensions.
She reaffirmed Tehran's claim to responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global oil shipments, and described it as central to Iran's security posture.
