Day 75 of Middle East Conflict — Iran Ceasefire Talks Stalled as Trump Pushes for A Deal with Tehran

Here are the latest developments as US-Iran talks remain stalled

Security forces stand guard as first responders intervene on a vehicle targeted by an Israeli drone strike at the entrance to the southern city of Sidon on Wednesday, May 13. Israeli strikes targeting cars on a highway south of Beirut on May 13 killed eight people, including two children, Lebanon’s health ministry said, in the latest attacks despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping shortly and discuss the war with Iran. In Washington, DC, Israeli and Lebanese officials will meet on Thursday morning to hold another round of US-mediated talks as violence between Israel and Hezbollah continues to threaten a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he made a “covert visit” to the United Arab Emirates and met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. However, the UAE denied that any such trip happened, emphasizing that their relations with Israel follow the framework established by the Abraham Accords.

Here’s the latest on the state of negotiations and the impact of the war:

• State of talks: US Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that lead US negotiators are still “making progress” in peace talks with Iran, despite a series of unsatisfying responses from Tehran in recent weeks. Vance added that the administration remains focused on ensuring Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.
• Emergency oil reserves: The Trump administration is draining America’s emergency oil stockpile at the fastest pace on record, breaking the prior record set by President Joe Biden. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve plunged by 8.6 million barrels last week.
• War powers measure fails: For the seventh time this year, the Senate rejected a measure aimed at restricting President Donald Trump’s war powers by requiring congressional approval for any future military action in Iran. The measure failed to advance, 49-50.
• Iranians detained: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the release of four Iranians detained by Kuwait. On Tuesday, Kuwaiti state media reported that authorities arrested four individuals described as members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were trying to infiltrate the country to “carry out hostile acts.”
• On the road to Tehran: On CNN’s journey across the country, ordinary Iranians described life under bombardment and blockade.
• Strait of Hormuz: Four weeks into its blockade of Iranian ports, the US military has redirected 67 commercial ships and disabled four others to “ensure compliance,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X Wednesday, adding that 15 vessels “supporting humanitarian aid” have been allowed to pass.

Rising costs for consumers:

• American’s finances: Trump on Tuesday said “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation” when negotiating with Iran. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday defended Trump and said, “of course” the administration cares. “I don’t think the president said that,” Vance added.
• Shipping costs: Container shipping behemoth Hapag-Lloyd said it is incurring extra costs of between $50 million and $60 million per week because of the ongoing blockage in the Strait of Hormuz. CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said he expected the cost Hapag-Lloyd charges to customers to rise over the next few months so the company can recoup its additional costs.

CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Catherine Nicholls, Alejandra Jaramillo, Elise Hammond, Morgan Rimmer, Hira Humayun, Matt Egan, Dalia Abdelwahab, Tal Shalev, Sophie Tanno, Anna Cooban and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.

Source: CNN