Trump turns to Middle East allies as deal to end Iran war proves elusive

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President claims planned Tehran attack postponed to allow talks to continue – but no indication peace plan is imminent

As he seeks an exit from the Iran war, Donald Trump is increasingly outsourcing his policymaking to US allies in the Middle East, while the White House appears unable to find a simple way to end the fighting and reopen global shipping lanes held by Tehran.

In Trump’s telling, the “dealmaker-in-chief” has maintained a consistent policy toward Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, leveling threats and incentives to reach a new deal that would also open the strait of Hormuz.

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Rubio criticizes WHO’s Ebola response as US continues sweeping public health cuts

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US secretary of state says WHO was ‘a little late’ in identifying deadly Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) was “a little late” in identifying the deadly Ebola outbreak in the the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

On Tuesday, Rubio told reporters: “The lead is obviously going to be CDC [Centers for Disease Control] and the World Health Organization, which was a little late to identify this thing unfortunately.”

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Romania shoots down Ukrainian drone flying over Estonia – politico.eu

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  1. Romania shoots down Ukrainian drone flying over Estonia  politico.eu
  2. Russian jamming blamed after Nato jet downs Ukrainian drone over Estonia  The Guardian
  3. NATO jet shoots down Ukrainian drone over Estonia in escalation of airspace violations  Defense News
  4. NATO planes down suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia  DW.com
  5. Estonia says Nato jet shot down drone over its territory  BBC
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Trump threatens ‘a big hit’ if Tehran does not make deal soon

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Renewed threat comes after US president said he was ‘an hour away’ from ordering a strike before pulling back

Donald Trump has again threatened Iran, saying the US may launch new attacks if Tehran continues to refuse the significant concessions he wants before a deal can be struck to end the Middle East war.

The US president said he had called off a fresh wave of strikes, which would have broken the ceasefire in place since early last month. “I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump said on Tuesday.

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Somaliland recognises Jerusalem as capital of Israel and will open an embassy – Middle East Eye

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  1. Somaliland recognises Jerusalem as capital of Israel and will open an embassy  Middle East Eye
  2. Somaliland marks first Independence Day following Israeli recognition  Al Jazeera
  3. Somaliland’s first-ever embassy anywhere will open in Jerusalem, envoy says  The Times of Israel
  4. The Recognition Question: Somaliland, Israeli Security Geometry, and the Red Sea Power Struggle  War on the Rocks
  5. New face welcomed to Israel's diplomatic circuit  The Jerusalem Post
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EU finance ministers tell US to end Middle East war – politico.eu

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  1. EU finance ministers tell US to end Middle East war  politico.eu
  2. Inflation Fears Cloud G7 Economic Agenda as Iran War Persists  The New York Times
  3. Global Inflation Weighs on G-7 as Higher Bond Yields Persist  Bloomberg.com
  4. G7 finance ministers call for action on trade imbalances as Russia sanctions divide US from allies  France 24
  5. G7 finance ministers urge action on economic imbalances, some point to China  Reuters
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Somaliland’s first-ever embassy anywhere will open in Jerusalem, envoy says – The Times of Israel

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  1. Somaliland’s first-ever embassy anywhere will open in Jerusalem, envoy says  The Times of Israel
  2. The Recognition Question: Somaliland, Israeli Security Geometry, and the Red Sea Power Struggle  War on the Rocks
  3. Somaliland marks first Independence Day following Israeli recognition  Al Jazeera
  4. Somaliland recognises Jerusalem as capital of Israel and will open an embassy  Middle East Eye
  5. Israel marks arrival of new ambassadors in traditional diplomatic reception in Jerusalem  ynetnews
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UK waters down Russian sanctions to boost diesel and jet fuel supply – Reuters

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  1. UK waters down Russian sanctions to boost diesel and jet fuel supply  Reuters
  2. UK loosens Russian oil sanctions as fuel prices rise  BBC
  3. Ukraine war briefing: Britain to buy diesel and jet fuel made from Russian crude oil  The Guardian
  4. Starmer eases sanctions on Russian oil  The Telegraph
  5. UK to Allow Imports of Diesel, Jet Fuel Refined From Russian Oil  Bloomberg.com
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Israeli Minister Threatens to Evict Palestinians From West Bank Hamlet – The New York Times

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  1. Israeli Minister Threatens to Evict Palestinians From West Bank Hamlet  The New York Times
  2. Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich says ICC seeking warrant for his arrest  CNN
  3. Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich says ICC is seeking his arrest  The Guardian
  4. ICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli Officials  Haaretz
  5. Israeli minister Smotrich says ICC prosecutor seeking warrant for his arrest  BBC
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Someone Dropped This Notebook in a Medieval Toilet 700 Years Ago—and It’s Still Legible – Gizmodo

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  1. Someone Dropped This Notebook in a Medieval Toilet 700 Years Ago—and It’s Still Legible  Gizmodo
  2. 800-year-old medieval notebook found in German latrine still contains readable Latin writing  Archaeology News Online Magazine
  3. From a Medieval Latrine in Germany, Archaeologists Extracted a Pristine Leather Notebook That Preserved Latin Cursive for Centuries  Smithsonian Magazine
  4. News - Lost Notebook Found in Medieval Toilet  Archaeology Magazine
  5. 800-year-old notebook and fancy silk toilet paper discovered in medieval latrine in Germany  Live Science
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Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Sweden and India – U.S. Department of State (.gov)

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  1. Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Sweden and India  U.S. Department of State (.gov)
  2. Rubio heads to a NATO meeting as European angst over Trump reliability, US troops, Iran grows  AP News
  3. US Seeks to Boost Energy Exports to India as Rubio Visits Delhi  Bloomberg.com
  4. Rubio to visit Sweden for NATO meeting, then India  Reuters
  5. Rubio to attend NATO talks, pay first visit to India  The Hindu
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