As the war in the Middle East enters its third week, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that he expects the war between the United States and Iran to end within “the next few weeks,” anticipating that this will lead to a recovery in oil supplies and a reduction in energy costs. “I believe this war will certainly end in the next few weeks, it could happen sooner than that. But the war will end in the next few weeks and we will see a recovery in supply and a drop in prices after that,” Wright said on ABC television’s “This Week” program.
The head of Israeli diplomacy confirmed, for his part, that no direct negotiations are planned with Lebanon aimed at ending the war that began on March 2 with a Hezbollah attack against Israel, following the start of Israeli-American strikes on Iran. “The answer is no,” declared Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, when asked by journalists about the possibility of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
A source from Lebanon stated yesterday that negotiations are “on the agenda” and that preparations for forming a delegation are “underway,” noting that an “Israeli commitment in favor of the possibility of a ceasefire or cessation of fire” is also needed.
Iran: The message about US bases
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated, in an interview published today, that Tehran has “extensive evidence” confirming that American bases in the Middle East are being used for attacks against the Islamic Republic.
“We have numerous pieces of evidence: there are satellite photographs and electronic surveillance operations that show US bases in this region are being used for attacks against us,” Araghchi told the Arabic-language news website Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, stating that missiles were launched from the United Arab Emirates for attacks against Kharg Island in the Gulf, which hosts Iran’s main oil export hub.
A Hamas leader was killed earlier this morning in an Israeli strike in Sidon, southern Lebanon, a source from the Palestinian Islamist organization, an ally of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, told the French news agency (AFP).
“A Hamas leader, Wissam Taha, was killed this morning in Sidon,” clarified this source, who did not want to be named.
A targeted strike was carried out against an apartment in an area near this city, the largest in southern Lebanon, which hosts the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camp.
Israel and Lebanon strikes
Israel repeatedly conducts strikes against this camp, claiming it targets Hamas.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah confirmed, for its part, that it targeted the Palmachim air base in central Israel with an “advanced missile,” from which a broad campaign of airstrikes against Lebanon is being conducted.
In a press release, the pro-Iranian organization clarified that the base, in the southern part of Tel Aviv, is “140 kilometers from the border” between Lebanon and Israel.
Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for attacks against targets in northern Israel and against Israeli forces entering Lebanese territory near the border.
