Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Monday supported President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran, voting against a resolution initiated by Democrats calling for an end to military action until authorized by Congress, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The resolution was rejected by the Republican-dominated lower house of Congress by just one vote - 214 "against" at 213 "for".
US President Donald Trump said he was not sure whether the ceasefire with Iran should be extended, Reuters reported.
He said another meeting between US and Iranian officials could take place this weekend.
The US president also said it was "very important" that Pope Leo XIII understand that Iran poses a threat to the world. "The Pope can say whatever he wants and I want him to say whatever he wants, but I may not agree with what he says," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "The Pope needs to understand that this is the real world," he added. Regarding Lebanon, Trump said that the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel would include Hezbollah, AFP reported. He also said that the leaders of the two countries could meet at the White House in the next week or two and expressed hope that a final deal would be reached between the two countries. "At the right time, I would visit Lebanon," Trump added, quoted by Reuters. A day earlier, the Senate also blocked a similar measure. Israel and Lebanon agreed to A 10-day ceasefire, which will take effect later today, was announced minutes ago by US President Donald Trump, quoted by the Associated Press.
Trump said on social media that the ceasefire is scheduled to take effect at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern American time - midnight Bulgarian time). This will happen after more than a month of war between Israel and the pro-Iranian Lebanese group “Hezbollah“.
This is the result of “excellent conversations“ with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said.
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday. Lebanon had been pushing for a ceasefire that would end the fighting between Israel and “Hezbollah“ before new talks, while promising to disarm the group.
Trump said he had directed Vice President J.D. Vance and other officials in his administration to work with Israel and Lebanon to "achieve lasting peace."
He further announced that he would invite Aoun and Netanyahu to the White House for the first high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel since 1983.
"Both sides want peace and I believe it will happen quickly," Trump said on his social media account, Truth Social. The two sides signed an agreement in 1983 under which Lebanon officially recognized Israel and Israel withdrew from Lebanon. The deal collapsed during Lebanon's civil war.
A government official familiar with the situation told the AP that Aoun had declined to speak to Netanyahu at one point today. He said the comments were made during a call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that Washington "understands Lebanon's position."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's powerful military chief Asim Munir met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday as part of international efforts to extend a ceasefire that has halted the nearly seven-week war between Israel, the United States and the Islamic Republic.
Iranian state television did not provide details of the meeting. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, which has become a key mediator after hosting direct talks between the United States and Iran that Islamabad said helped narrow differences between Washington and Tehran.
During the fragile truce with Iran, fighting in Lebanon between Israel and “Hezbollah“ continued.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the ten-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon announced today by US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.
Von der Leyen reiterated that Europe would continue to call for respect for Lebanon's territorial integrity.
"I welcome the announced ten-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon brokered by President Donald Trump. This is a relief, as this conflict has already claimed too many lives," von der Leyen wrote on the social network Ex.
"Europe will continue to call for full respect for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we will continue to support the Lebanese people through comprehensive humanitarian assistance", added the EC President.
The Elysee Palace welcomed as excellent news the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, which will come into effect tonight at midnight, reported Agence France-Presse.
“This is excellent news that will have to be verified on the ground“, stressed an adviser to President Emmanuel Macron. A little earlier, Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ten-day ceasefire.
Reacting to the words of the Israeli ambassador to the US, who said that Paris had no place in the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, Macron's adviser added that Paris wanted to “be useful“. "On the day when the Lebanese authorities will have to be supported to restore their security and sovereignty over all of Lebanon, I think many will be happy to be able to count on France, including the Israelis," the presidential adviser said.
Seven people were killed and 33 were wounded in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said, AFP reported.
The strike came hours before a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon, which was supposed to last 10 days, was due to take effect.
The strike hit the village of Ghaziyeh, where houses were destroyed and rescue teams are now searching for survivors under the rubble.
Earlier today, US President Donald Trump announced the agreement in person and said the ceasefire would take effect at 5 p.m. Eastern time. (midnight Bulgarian time).
It is not in the United States' interest for Russia to emerge victorious from the war in Iran, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said in Washington today, Reuters reported.
“This is not in our interest and cannot be in the United States' interest“, Klingbeil said in a joint statement with the finance ministers of Ukraine and Norway on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank.
According to the German finance minister, the Russian economy is growing thanks to the conflict in the Middle East and is benefiting from the situation in the energy sector.
While the US and Israel's war with Iran is a leading topic during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank this week, the finance ministers of Norway and Germany met on Monday with their Ukrainian counterparts to discuss how to strengthen their support for Ukraine amid the more than four-year-long Russian invasion.
G7 finance ministers and central bankers held a two-hour meeting earlier today on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, where they also discussed support for Ukraine.