By Alexandra Sharp
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at indirect U.S.-Iran peace talks, alleged Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes on civilians, and the political fallout of Spain’s migrant crisis.
Have tips or feedback? Hit reply with your thoughts.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media
after signing an executive order at the White House in
Washington on Aug. 3.Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Images
Qatari mediators confirmed on Tuesday that the United States and Iran are actively negotiating a peace deal to end the monthslong conflict. Indirect talks are in “very progressive stages,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said. “I can tell you that language has been drafted on a possible agreement and is being circulated between the parties.”
It is unclear what the new drafts demand. However, Ansari told reporters on Tuesday that “our focus right now is avoiding escalation, reopening the strait, and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties,” adding that resuming direct talks is vital to inking a final deal.
Still, simply confirming that negotiations are taking place marks a major change in diplomatic efforts, as just 24 hours ago, Tehran had denied engaging in peace talks with anyone but Oman. That claim had prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to accuse Iranian leadership of being “unbelievably duplicitous,” as the White House had called off a massive military strike the day before to reportedly allow such talks to occur.
According to Ansari, Qatar and Pakistan (both of which have helped mediate past talks) are now working with Oman to facilitate dialogue. Tehran has previously signaled interest in having Muscat help coordinate passage through the Strait of Hormuz—so long as Iranian forces control inbound traffic and maintain visibility of outbound shipping. Such a plan could also include establishing a temporary safe route for commercial vessels.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Iran is also quietly considering allowing European nations to begin removing mines from the critical waterway. Doing so would provide insurance and shipping companies assurances that the strait is safe—or at least safer than it has been in recent months. This could allow commercial shipping to renew operations through Hormuz and ultimately help ease the global energy crisis.
“There is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Tuesday. Yet the Trump administration’s goodwill may only last a little longer. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, implying that this round of negotiations could be the final bite of carrot offered to Iran before the U.S. military returns to the stick.
Civilian drone attacks. Kyiv accused Moscow on Tuesday of committing a “barbaric Russian war crime” after widely shared footage showed what appears to be a Russian drone pursuing and ultimately injuring a Ukrainian vegetable vendor. “The world must see this,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. “It must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad and that its soldiers take pleasure in killing and abusing civilians.”
Moscow has yet to publicly comment on Tuesday’s video. However, last month, the United Nations’ human rights office found that the number of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine increased by more than a third during the first half of this year, largely due to Russian long-range drone and missile strikes.
But Russia has also accused Ukraine of targeting civilians. On Monday, Moscow denounced an alleged Ukrainian drone explosion that killed at least seven people and wounded around 40 others at a crowded beach in the Russian resort town of Arkhipo-Osipovka. “This cynical and inhumane terrorist attack against children cannot be justified,” regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said in a statement; three minors were among those killed. It is unclear what the drone was targeting, and Kyiv has not yet commented on the assault.
A divided EU. The European Union on Tuesday praised Spain’s “swift action” in response to last week’s migrant crisis at the Ceuta-Morocco border, in an effort to quell growing divisions among the bloc’s members. “The EU is united with Spain in this challenge,” Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, who chaired Tuesday’s virtual meeting of EU home affairs ministers, wrote on X. But many nations’ actions suggest otherwise.
Last Thursday and Friday, around 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, overwhelming local authorities and inflaming concerns that Madrid is too lax on immigration; more than 80 migrants died during the crossing. In response, Italy temporarily suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain, prompting left-leaning Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to accuse far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of acting “contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together.”
Tuesday’s emergency meeting aimed to restore unity to the 27-nation bloc. However, it did little to silence the political fault lines that have emerged between one of Europe’s most liberal administrations and Europe’s conservative wave. Finland and Denmark have since also sided with Italy, and the Czech Republic has urged the EU to suspend Spain’s Schengen membership.
More negotiations. Israeli and Lebanese officials kicked off a seventh round of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Rome on Tuesday. Over the course of three days, negotiators are expected to discuss the efficacy and potential expansion of “pilot zones,” which are designated towns in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces have begun phased withdrawals in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the transfer of local power to Lebanon’s military.
An Israeli source told Haaretz on Tuesday that this week’s talks would also address disputes related to Israel and Lebanon’s 2022 maritime border agreement, explore ways to stop the flow of Iranian funds into Lebanon, and discuss financing reconstruction efforts for the border area. Meanwhile, a Lebanese official told Asharq al-Awsat that Beirut plans to reiterate the need for a lasting cease-fire and an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
But heavy caution appears to be the defining feature of all sides. “[M]oving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to protect,” U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said in a statement on Monday. “We believe it is better to take the time needed to get this right the first time.”
On Tuesday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said that these negotiations will bring “nothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises” for Lebanon. Hezbollah does not recognize the talks, and Beirut does not speak for the militant group.
One of the world’s smallest countries just got a big makeover. Last Thursday, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru changed its name to the Republic of Naoero to better align with the national language’s spelling and pronunciation. “This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” President David Adeang said in January, when he first proposed the switch. According to a government statement, Naoero (pronounced “now-ero”) only became Nauru (“now-roo”) as a matter of convenience since many foreigners struggled to pronounce the local name.
