Issued on: 14/04/2026 - 03:22Modified: 15/04/2026 - 02:25
Israel and Lebanon agreed to hold direct negotiations after "productive discussions" between the two sides in Washington, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Tuesday. Earlier, US President Trump flagged the potential for a second round of Iran peace talks “over the next two days” in Pakistan. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
Female Iranian student arrives in Iran after release in France, state TV reports
Iranian student Mahdieh Esfandiari arrived in Iran after being released in France, Iranian state TV
reported on Wednesday, after two French nationals facing security charges were allowed to leave Iran following three-and-a-half years in detention.
Esfandiari, who was convicted at the end of February for glorifying terrorism in anti-Israel social media posts, was released after serving almost a year in prison.
"I think it's clear for everyone that there is no freedom of speech, at least not in France where I was. The court's ruling was very unjust," Esfandiari told state television
Treasury chief says US growth may exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite Iran war
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday the underlying U.S. economy remained strong and that growth could still exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite the impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Bessent has cast cuts in global growth forecasts and higher inflation projections by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank as an overreaction.
The IMF on Tuesday cut its growth outlook due to Iran war-driven energy price spikes.
"I think the underlying economy remains strong," Bessent said during the WSJ Opinion Live event in Washington.
Wall Street rallies to the edge of its all-time high as oil prices ease
US stocks rallied to the edge of an all-time high Tuesday, and oil prices eased as hopes climbed that the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war and avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.
The S&P 500 added 1.2% to its leap from the day before, and the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is just 0.2% below its record set in January.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%. They followed gains for stock markets worldwide as diplomats worked through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.
Israeli-Lebanese negotiations 'largely symbolic and performative', Middle East expert says
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, says that "none of the participants in today's meetings have the authority to negotiate", adding that "implementing what the Lebanese and Israeli government would like to do is simply not possible. The Israelis cannot destroy Hezbollah and the Lebanese central government is unwilling or unable to take that challenge on."
Israel, Lebanon united in liberating Lebanon from Hezbollah, Israeli ambassador to US says
The Lebanese government made it clear during US-brokered talks with Israel that they no longer want to be "occupied" by Hezbollah and that there were conversations about long-term vision for clearly delineated border, Israel's ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told reporters on Tuesday. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
Italian PM says suspends renewal of defence agreement with Israel
Italy has suspended the renewal of its defence agreement with Israel, which involves the exchange of military equipment and technology research, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday. US President Donald Trump criticised Meloni for her unwillingness to help in the Iran war, in an interview published Tuesday. "I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," he said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta reports from Rome.
Lebanon's US envoy says called for ceasefire at Israel talks
Lebanon's ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad called for a ceasefire during "constructive" talks on Tuesday with Israeli officials in Washington, she said in a statement.
The "preparatory meeting was constructive", the envoy's statement said, adding that she "called for a ceasefire" and the return of displaced people to their homes, and also emphasised "the full sovereignty of the state" over all Lebanese territory.
Europe drafts postwar plan to open Hormuz without US, WSJ reports
European countries are cobbling together a post-war plan for a broad coalition of countries, excluding the United States, to help free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing officials.
Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US statement
Israel and Lebanon agreed to hold direct negotiations after "productive discussions" between the two sides in Washington, the United States said on Tuesday.
"The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
"All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue," he added.
Israeli ambassador hails 'wonderful exchange' following talks with Lebanon
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter hailed the "wonderful exchange" during direct peace talks with Lebanon in Washington on Tuesday, saying the two countries were "on the same side."
"We enjoyed it together. We had a wonderful exchange of over two hours," Leiter told reporters following the talks.
"We discovered today that we're on the same side," he said. "We are both united in liberating Lebanon from (an) occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah."
Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington conclude
Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington have concluded, according to both Lebanon's state-run National News Agency and the Israeli embassy in Washington.
The talks lasted about two hours.
Israel-Lebanon talks 'won't solve all the problems', UN secretary general says
French government mulls cap on retail margins at gas stations
The French government is considering setting a cap on the margins retailers charge on fuels to end-consumers at gas stations, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry designed a mechanism setting a cap for pre-tax prices based on the difference between retail price and wholesale price over a five-day rolling average, the statement said.
Israel-Lebanon talks a 'significant and symbolic step', France 24's Fraser Jackson says
The Washington hosted talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday offer a "significant and symbolic step for two countries that don't even recognise each other", France 24's US correspondent Fraser Jackson said.
Israel is bringing several goals to the negotiating table including empowering the Lebanese state to regain sovereign control over its territory, disarming of Hezbollah and assurances that the Lebanese army assumes control of the country's territory and weapons, and the establishment of a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon to prevent cross border attacks.
"It's easier said than done, however, when Hezbollah operates independently and arguably holds more power than the Lebanese government", Jackson said.
Rubio hosts Israeli, Lebanese envoys as talks begin in Washington
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosts the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington Tuesday for the first direct peace talks between the countries in decades. FRANCE 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani takes a look at the talks’ significance and what they might yield.
Saudi, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey FMs to hold talks amid Iran tensions
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will meet Turkey's top diplomat this week in Turkey for talks on regional matters, a ministry source said on Tuesday.
"This is the third meeting of the four countries to discuss regional affairs, not specifically Hormuz," said the source, who wished to remain anonymous. The top diplomats are due to hold talks on the margins of an annual diplomacy forum in southern Turkey that opens on Friday.
Six ships turned around on day one of Hormuz blockade, US military says
No ships have made it past a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and coastal areas, and six merchant ships have followed orders to turn back, the U.S. military said on Tuesday, on day one of the blockade ordered by US President Donald Trump after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran broke down.
The U.S. military has said that the blockade, which started on Monday, would only apply to ships going to or from Iran, including all Iranian ports on the Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
"During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman," the U.S. military's Central Command said in the statement.
Hezbollah says targeted 13 north Israel towns as Lebanon-Israel talks start
Hezbollah on Tuesday said it targeted 13 northern Israeli towns with rockets shortly after the start of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. In a statement, the group said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, Metula and 11 other towns "with simultaneous rocket salvos" at 6:15 pm (1515 GMT).
The Israeli military had warned it expected a rise in Hezbollah attacks as Washington hosted Israeli and Lebanese officials for their first direct talks in decades.
Vance says progress made with Iran as sides weigh second round of talks
The United States made a lot of progress in talks with Iran, US Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Fox News on Monday, saying the ball was in Iran's court when it came to whether a second round of talks would take place.
Yesterday's key developments:
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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