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Netanyahu says held 'secret' meeting with UAE president during Iran war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a "secret" meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, his office said Wednesday.

"During Operation 'Lion's Roar', Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan," his office said in a statement.

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Iran says has 'right to respond' after Kuwait arrests four citizens

Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran had the right to respond after he accused Kuwait of attacking an Iranian boat and arresting four of its citizens in the Gulf, calling for their release.

"In clear attempt to sow discord, Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained 4 of our citizens in the Persian Gulf. This illegal act took place near island used by the U.S. to attack Iran," Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.

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The veteran envoys leading Lebanon-Israel direct talks

Lebanon's Simon Karam and Israel's Yechiel Leiter, both political veterans with entrenched views, will come face to face in Washington for talks Thursday after decades in a state of war.

Lebanon and Israel have no formal ties, but U.S. President Donald Trump is hoping for a historic breakthrough even as Israeli forces remain deployed in south Lebanon to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah.

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Trump arrives in China for superpower summit with Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers.

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Lebanon decries 'systematic' attacks on civilians despite truce

Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine told a press conference on Tuesday that since the ceasefire, "380 people have been killed and 1,122 wounded". That toll includes 39 women and 22 children.

Nassereddine decried a "systematic, ongoing attack on civilians", and described the ceasefire as "fragile and ineffective".

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Iran says US must accept peace plan or face 'failure'

Iran's chief negotiator said Tuesday that Washington must accept Tehran's latest peace plan or face failure, after U.S. President Donald Trump warned the truce in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse.

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Trump announces talks with 'failed' Cuba

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced talk with Cuba, which has been suffering under Washington's fuel blockade for months following the US capture of Havana's ally Nicolas Maduro.

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Kuwait says foiled infiltration attempt by four members of Iran's Guards

Kuwait said Tuesday that four people arrested earlier this month as they attempted to enter the country by sea have confessed to belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

The four men -- two navy colonels, a captain, and a lieutenant commander -- admitted they had been tasked by Iran's ideological army with "infiltrating" Bubiyan Island, Kuwait's interior ministry said in a statement published by state news agency Kuna.

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Qatar says Iran should not use Hormuz to 'blackmail' Gulf

Iran should not use the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the Middle East war, as a means to blackmail Gulf states, Qatar's top diplomat said Tuesday.

"Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries," said Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

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Israeli strikes have killed 380 in Lebanon since truce

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 380 people since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war began on April 17, Lebanon's health ministry told AFP on Tuesday.

A ministry official said that "380 people, including 22 children and 39 women, have been killed in strikes on Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect", out of a total of around 2,900 people killed since the war erupted on March 2.

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