Just like between Iran and United States, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend the ceasefire agreed upon last week, providing some stability in the Middle East and raising hopes of ending a conflict that is affecting the entire planet in the form of inflation and rising fuel prices. Although it lasted briefly, as Israel carried out an attack on Lebanon a few hours later.
This Thursday, Donald Trump has stated that he will not use nuclear weapons in this war, although he has ordered his armed forces to "shoot and kill" small Iranian boats deploying mines in the Straits of Hormuz.
Trump extended a ceasefire this week to give the beleaguered Iranian leadership more time to present a "unified proposal" on ending the war, while maintaining a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
Kallas warns of a "more dangerous Iran" if only the nuclear program is negotiated
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, warned on Friday that negotiations for peace in the Middle East focusing solely on the nuclear issue will result in "a more dangerous Iran," and called for addressing "problems in the region," its missile programs, or its support for allies like Hezbollah, Efe reports.
"If the negotiations focus only on the nuclear issue and there are no nuclear experts at the table, we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and without addressing the problems in the region, missile programs, support for allies, and hybrid and cyber activities in Europe," Kallas said upon arriving at the second day of the informal summit of European leaders, held today in Nicosia.
"So we would end up with a more dangerous Iran and in fact, we would be strengthening them," added the EU's top diplomat.
IEA says the war in Iran will have an impact of "at least two years" on liquefied natural gas
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Friday that the conflict in the Middle East is altering the medium-term outlook for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and will have an impact lasting "at least two years," in a context of growing uncertainty in international energy markets due to the war in Iran, Efe reports.
In the medium term, the IEA estimates in a report published today that the conflict could lead to the cumulative loss of around 120,000 million cubic meters of LNG supply between 2026 and 2030, equivalent to about 15% of the projected volume.
This impact will be particularly concentrated in 2026 and 2027, delaying the positive effects of sector growth, the agency based in Paris points out.
More than 50 countries unite from today in the first summit to move beyond fossil fuels
Representatives from 54 countries (including Spain) and the EU, as well as parliamentarians, academics, businessmen, and various social organizations, are participating from this Friday in the First Conference for Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels, an alternative space to the climate summits sponsored by the UN and usually held in November or December each year, Servimedia reports.
This historic Conference is taking place in Santa Marta (Colombia) until April 29. It is a co-chaired initiative by the Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, and will be overshadowed by the current energy crisis due to the conflict in the Middle East following the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, with a ceasefire in place while the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, despite being strategic for the transport of oil and gas.
"Over the past month, the United States and Israel have waged an illegal war against Iran, the consequences of which have been felt worldwide. Not only has international law been eroded, but its economic repercussions extend far beyond the Middle East, demonstrating why a just transition to renewable energies is now a security imperative," says Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and founding member of The Elders.
Japan to begin releasing new crude oil reserves from May 1
The Japanese government will start releasing the equivalent of 20 days of supply from its state crude oil reserves from May 1 to cope with the disruption of its energy supply due to the war in the Middle East, Efe reports.
In a statement, the Japanese Ministry of Economy detailed that it will deliver 5.8 million kiloliters of crude oil to four major Japanese oil companies, equivalent to 20 days of supply, starting from May 1.
"We are doing our best to obtain crude oil through routes that do not pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and at this point, we expect to secure more than half of the supply from alternative sources for May compared to last year's levels," the ministry explained.
Israel attacks Lebanon shortly after the ceasefire announced by Trump
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack on Friday against a rocket launcher that they said had fired several times from Lebanon into Israeli territory, shortly after the ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Efe reports.
According to the Israeli Army on Telegram, the Israeli area attacked was the border village of Shtula in the north of the country, without the IDF specifying whether the alleged aggression from Lebanon occurred before or after the ceasefire announced from the White House.
The military report also claimed to have attacked "another rocket launcher loaded and ready to fire" that "posed a threat to IDF soldiers and the State of Israel."
Little expectation in Islamabad to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough to unlock negotiations
Peace negotiations between Iran and the U.S. scheduled to take place in Islamabad continue to be in doubt, with no diplomatic progress to ensure that the parties will travel to the Pakistani capital to resume their bilateral meetings despite the efforts of mediators, Efe reports.
Without official statements or announcements from local authorities, who have maintained their position for days that Pakistan will do everything possible to bring Iranian and American delegations to the table, it is the attitudes and leaks to local and Arab media that paint a bleak picture for the meeting.
Saudi television channel Al Arabiya, which has been providing extensive coverage from Pakistan of the meeting for several days, originally scheduled for Wednesday but has not yet taken place due to Iran's refusal to attend Islamabad while the U.S. maintains a naval blockade on its ports and commercial navigation, reported in the early hours that for Pakistani diplomacy, "there is a real deadlock in the negotiations."
Israel's Ambassador to the UN says the ceasefire with Lebanon is "not 100%"
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Danny Danon, said on Thursday in an interview with CNN that the extended ceasefire with Lebanon is "not 100%," Efe reports.
"The Lebanese government does not have control over Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is launching rockets to try to sabotage the ceasefire. Israel, we have to retaliate. Every time we see a threat, we act," Danon told the network during an interview to justify the exceptions to the extended truce.
Another U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in the Middle East
The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier became the third U.S. warship in the Middle East on Thursday, as President Donald Trump seeks to consolidate progress in peace negotiations with Tehran, Efe reports.
The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class ship arrived near Iran, according to the Central Command, after sailing for over 10 days along the eastern coast of Africa, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, and crossing the Indian Ocean.
The military detailed that the USS George H.W. Bush arrives with thousands of additional troops, as well as several dozen advanced fighters.