Paris (France) (AFP) - The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- US delegation to talks -

A US delegation will head to Pakistan “soon” for a new round of peace negotiations with Iran, a source familiar with the plan told AFP, as Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend.

- US-Iran ‘mistake’ -

French President Emmanuel Macron called the Iranian and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz “a mistake on both sides”.

- Oil up -

World oil prices jumped Monday as traders reacted to Iran’s weekend closure, again, of the Strait of Hormuz, and after the US Navy shot at and seized an Iranian cargo ship just outside the waterway.

Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate were both up nearly six percent, at $94 and $86 a barrel respectively.

- UAE busts Iran-linked group -

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said they arrested members of an Iran-linked group plotting “terrorist” acts in the country, attempting to recruit Emiratis and funnelling funds to “suspicious” foreign entities.

- Tehran airports reopen -

Iran reopened its main Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports in Tehran, the country’s aviation authority said, after closures caused by the weeks-long war.

- Call for ceasefire extension -

Moscow called for the US-Iran ceasefire to be extended beyond its expiry on Wednesday and stressed diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict should continue, following a call between the Russian and Iranian foreign ministers.

- ‘Israel talks separate’ -

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said planned talks with Israel were “separate” from the Iran-US negotiations.

He said the talks aimed to end negotiations and Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese state media meanwhile reported an Israeli drone struck a town, Qaqaiyat al-Jisr, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

- Qatar flights -

Qatar’s aviation authority said it would begin allowing flights from foreign airlines to land at its main airport for the first time since the start of the Middle East war.

- Dutch aid on fuel -

The Dutch government said it would allocate more than 950 million euros ($1.1 billion) to help compensate businesses and individuals for the surge in petrol prices since the war’s outbreak.

- China ‘concern’ -

China – the main buyer of Iranian oil – expressed “concern” over the weekend US seizure of the Iranian-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz and urged all parties to resume peace talks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call that “normal traffic” through the vital Strait of Hormuz “should be maintained”.

- Israel Lebanon warning -

Israel’s military warned Lebanese civilians against returning to villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah’s activities in the area were violating a ceasefire agreement struck last week.

Thousands of displaced residents have begun making their way back to parts of southern Lebanon since the truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Friday.

- Iran executions -

Iran hanged two men convicted of having links to Israel’s spy agency, the latest in a string of executions of detainees regarded as political prisoners by rights groups since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States.

- Israel soldier hits Jesus statue -

Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “harsh” punishment for one of his soldiers who used a sledgehammer to hit the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military confirmed the authenticity of an image widely shared on social media of the incident.

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