Israel and Lebanon held direct talks in Washington, DC, a rare diplomatic development amid the broader regional conflict involving Iran. US officials facilitated the meeting but indicated that further time is required before any concrete agreement can be reached. The talks represent the first known instance of direct engagement between the two sides, a notable departure from decades of hostility and the absence of formal diplomatic relations. The context of an active Iran-linked conflict lends the meeting strategic weight beyond a bilateral framework. Washington's role as convener signals continued US investment in managing the Israel-Lebanon file, even as the wider regional situation remains fluid. The immediate outcome is limited, US officials stopped short of announcing any breakthrough or timeline, making the next round of contact the key indicator of whether this opening translates into a durable diplomatic track or remains a one-off exchange under wartime pressure.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
