Optimism abounds as Iran-US talks continue

IN BRIEF

• Qatar says mediators are making progress in efforts to end the US-Iran war. READ MORE BELOW

• Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz "is going to be open very soon." READ MORE BELOW

• A cargo vessel reported being struck by an unidentified projectile near the Strait of Hormuz off Oman's coast, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations security agency. 

• Iran says talks with Oman over transit through the strait were productive. READ MORE BELOW

• The US Army has used up much of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, say unnamed sources. READ MORE BELOW

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday Tehran would support any initiative or decision taken by Palestinian leaders in ongoing indirect negotiations between militant group Hamas and Israel, Iranian state media reported.

• Lebanon and Israel held a fresh round of US-sponsored talks in Rome. READ MORE BELOW

• More than 800,000 people displaced by war in Lebanon have begun returning to their hometowns following a lull in violence amid the Israel-Hezbollah war, the United Nations has said.

• Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel did not agree to the US-backed plan for Gaza, even after receiving assurances that an Israeli pullout would only happen after Hamas disarms. SEE VIDEO BELOW

IN DETAIL

Qatar hopeful about Iran-US peace

Qatar said on Tuesday mediators were making progress in efforts to end the US-Iran war.

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed efforts to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and improve the prospects for a lasting settlement during a phone call on Tuesday, Qatar's Emiri office said.

It said the emir stressed the importance of dialogue and adherence to the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding of mid-June that provided for the immediate cessation of military operations.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said diplomatic contacts had reached "very progressive stages."

He said mediators including Qatar, Pakistan and Oman were coordinating closely to facilitate negotiations and exchange draft proposals between Washington and Tehran.

A senior Pakistani security official said: "Our sole goal at this moment is to make both parties at least agree to start talking."

Iran says Oman talks productive

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said talks with Oman over transit through the strait were positive and continuing, focused on establishing safe shipping lanes, state media reported. He added the route being negotiated was aimed at ensuring the sovereign rights and national security of both Iran and Oman.

Iran has long demanded control over Hormuz, which it says it should share with Oman on the opposite shore. But Tehran rejected an Omani proposal last week that would have allowed shared oversight and the collection of voluntary fees from ships.

A senior Iranian source said Tehran is seeking full control over inbound shipping and visibility over outbound traffic, with the ability to intervene if necessary.

Giving Iran such control would be a major shift in the regional balance of power and make it more difficult for Washington to argue that "Operation Epic Fury", which Trump launched alongside Israel in February, had weakened Washington's longstanding foe.

Al Jazeera reported claims by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that any deal with Oman would not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump makes Strait of Hormuz claim 

US President Donald Trump said his administration had "very good discussions" with Iran during all-day negotiations on Tuesday, fuelling expectations of an imminent end to the five-month conflict.

Oil prices fell and stocks jumped in Asian trade on Wednesday after Wall Street hit record highs on hopes that a deal could soon be reached to restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

"They had an all-day negotiation," Trump told Fox News' "@ Night" show. The Strait of Hormuz "is going to be open very soon," Trump added. "If they back out again, they are going to get hit really hard."

Trump has often threatened massive strikes if Tehran did not reach an agreement and then cited progress in talks that have so far failed to end hostilities.

Iran has halted most traffic through Hormuz while Washington maintains a blockade of Iran-related shipping and ports.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have also imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, further restricting oil export routes.

US fears of long-range missile shortage

The US Army has used up much of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts.

The missiles are principally the Army's surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The US has used "virtually all" of these weapons, according to two of the sources.

The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported.

The long-range munitions – which cost more than $1 million each – are an important part of the military's arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance. US-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia. The PrSM is a newer, more advanced generation that will replace the ATACMS, which have a shorter range.

The dramatic rundown in precision, long-range missiles means US President Donald Trump may have to rely more on riskier, piloted bombing missions if he relaunches large-scale attacks on Iran.

The sources declined to say how many of each munition the US had left.

Lebanon-Israel talks continue

Lebanon and Israel held a fresh round of US-sponsored talks in Rome on Tuesday, with Beirut seeking Israel's phased withdrawal from the country's south.

Convoys carrying delegations from the two countries arrived in the morning to the US embassy in the Italian capital, where discussions are scheduled to run until Thursday. 

"The United States remains fully committed to supporting both governments as they carry this process forward in a manner that delivers lasting security for both countries, eliminates security threats to Israel, and restores Lebanese state authority throughout the south," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X.

At negotiations in Washington in June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in test areas known as "pilot zones".

This week's negotiations are the seventh round of Washington-mediated talks since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.