Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at indirect U.S.-Iran peace talks, alleged Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes on civilians, and the political fallout of Spain\u2019s migrant crisis.<\/p>\n
Status of Negotiations<\/p>\n
Qatari mediators confirmed<\/a> on Tuesday that the United States and Iran are actively negotiating a peace deal to end the monthslong conflict. Indirect talks are in \u201cvery progressive stages,\u201d Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said. \u201cI can tell you that language has been drafted on a possible agreement and is being circulated between the parties.\u201d<\/p>\n Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at indirect U.S.-Iran peace talks, alleged Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes on civilians, and the political fallout of Spain\u2019s migrant crisis.<\/p>\n Status of Negotiations<\/p>\n Qatari mediators confirmed<\/a> on Tuesday that the United States and Iran are actively negotiating a peace deal to end the monthslong conflict. Indirect talks are in \u201cvery progressive stages,\u201d Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said. \u201cI can tell you that language has been drafted on a possible agreement and is being circulated between the parties.\u201d<\/p>\n It is unclear what the new drafts demand. However, Ansari told reporters on Tuesday that \u201cour focus right now is avoiding escalation, reopening the strait, and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties,\u201d adding that resuming direct talks is vital to inking a final deal.<\/p>\n Still, simply confirming that negotiations are taking place marks a major change in diplomatic efforts, as just 24 hours ago, Tehran had denied engaging<\/a> in peace talks with anyone but Oman. That claim had prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to accuse<\/a> Iranian leadership of being \u201cunbelievably duplicitous,\u201d as the White House had called off a massive military strike the day before to reportedly allow such talks to occur.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> in having Muscat help coordinate passage through the Strait of Hormuz\u2014so long as Iranian forces control inbound traffic and maintain visibility of outbound shipping. Such a plan could also include establishing a temporary safe route<\/a> for commercial vessels.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Bloomberg<\/a> 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\u2014or 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere 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,\u201d U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC<\/a> on Tuesday. Yet the Trump administration\u2019s goodwill may only last a little longer. \u201cThis is a last chance for them to sign a good document,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s Most Read<\/p>\n What We\u2019re Following<\/p>\n Civilian drone attacks. Kyiv accused<\/a> Moscow on Tuesday of committing a \u201cbarbaric Russian war crime\u201d after widely shared footage showed what appears to be a Russian drone pursuing and ultimately injuring a Ukrainian vegetable vendor. \u201cThe world must see this,\u201d Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote<\/a> on X. \u201cIt must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad and that its soldiers take pleasure in killing and abusing civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n Moscow has yet to publicly comment on Tuesday\u2019s video. However, last month, the United Nations\u2019 human rights office found<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n But Russia has also accused Ukraine of targeting civilians. On Monday, Moscow denounced an alleged Ukrainian drone explosion<\/a> that killed at least seven people and wounded around 40 others at a crowded beach in the Russian resort town of Arkhipo-Osipovka. \u201cThis cynical and inhumane terrorist attack against children cannot be justified,\u201d regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said in a statement<\/a>; three minors were among those killed. It is unclear what the drone was targeting, and Kyiv has not yet commented<\/a> on the assault.<\/p>\n A divided EU. The European Union on Tuesday praised Spain\u2019s \u201cswift action\u201d in response to last week\u2019s migrant crisis at the Ceuta-Morocco border<\/a>, in an effort to quell growing divisions among the bloc\u2019s members. \u201cThe EU is united with Spain in this challenge,\u201d Irish Justice Minister Jim O\u2019Callaghan, who chaired Tuesday\u2019s virtual meeting of EU home affairs ministers, wrote<\/a> on X. But many nations\u2019 actions suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n Last Thursday and Friday, around 72,000 migrants<\/a> 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<\/a> its Schengen agreement with Spain, prompting left-leaning Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez to accuse far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of acting \u201ccontrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s emergency meeting aimed to restore unity<\/a> to the 27-nation bloc. However, it did little to silence the political fault lines that have emerged between one of Europe\u2019s most liberal administrations<\/a> and Europe\u2019s conservative wave<\/a>. Finland and Denmark have since also sided with Italy, and the Czech Republic has urged the EU to suspend Spain\u2019s Schengen membership.<\/p>\n More negotiations. Israeli and Lebanese officials kicked off<\/a> 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 \u201cpilot zones,\u201d which are designated towns in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces have begun phased withdrawals in exchange for Hezbollah\u2019s disarmament and the transfer of local power to Lebanon\u2019s military.<\/p>\n An Israeli source told Haaretz<\/a> on Tuesday that this week\u2019s talks would also address disputes related to Israel and Lebanon\u2019s 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<\/a> that Beirut plans to reiterate the need for a lasting cease-fire and an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.<\/p>\n But heavy caution appears to be the defining feature of all sides. \u201c[M]oving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to protect,\u201d U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said in a statement<\/a> on Monday. \u201cWe believe it is better to take the time needed to get this right the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem<\/a> said that these negotiations will bring \u201cnothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises\u201d for Lebanon. Hezbollah does not recognize the talks, and Beirut does not speak for the militant group.<\/p>\n Odds and Ends<\/p>\n