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West Asia News Live: US and Iran to resume nuclear talks in Oslo for the first time since regional war began
(File) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025. Reuters
Welcome to today's live coverage of key developments across West Asia. After nearly two years of heightened tensions and regional conflict, the United States and Iran are preparing to resume nuclear talks in Oslo, in what could mark a critical turning point in regional diplomacy. Meanwhile, investigations into civilian harm near Gaza aid sites and a surge in PTSD diagnoses in Israel point to the deepening humanitarian and psychological toll of ongoing violence. In other developments, Iran has indicated it will not escalate militarily unless provoked, while President Donald Trump has stated he is open to meeting Iranian leaders if needed. Amid these shifts, a vote on Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been delayed following intense debate within the European Broadcasting Union. Stay tuned for updates as events unfold:
President Donald Trump announced he would meet with Iran's leadership 'if necessary,' signaling a conditional openness to direct talks with Tehran, as per a report in Asharq Al-Awsat. This statement comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in West Asia and follows the 'maximum pressure' campaign initiated during Trump's first term, which included the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.
Iran will not retaliate further in response to what it characterizes as US strikes, nor will it pursue nuclear 'militarization,' according to a report in The Hill. The statement from Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid… is conditional, specifying that Iran will not respond again 'as long as there is no act of aggression being perpetrated by the United States against us.'
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has postponed a vote on a potential ban of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest following a contentious debate among its members, as per a report in Haaretz. The proposed ban, which targets Israel's public broadcaster KAN, has gained traction due to the ongoing military conflict in Gaza. Advocates for the exclusion cite the precedent set when the EBU banned Russia from the competition following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in a past event.
Data from three of Israel's largest Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)—Maccabi, Leumit, and Meuhedet—reveal a nearly 100% increase in clinical diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, according to a report in Haaretz. The HMOs, which collectively insure about 5 million people, are part of Israel's universal public healthcare system, making the data representative of a significant portion of the country's population. The sharp rise in formal diagnoses indicates a measurable public health crisis stemming from the national trauma of the attacks and the subsequent war.
The Israeli military has launched an internal investigation into multiple incidents involving civilian harm near aid distribution sites in Gaza, where hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, according to a report in BBC. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that new instructions have been issued to its forces based on 'lessons learned' from these events. The investigation follows several deadly episodes during chaotic aid distributions, which have been exacerbated by the severe humanitarian crisis in the region. The casualty figures, which come from a series of events rather than a single incident, are primarily from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and are difficult to verify independently.
The United States and Iran will reportedly resume nuclear negotiations in Oslo next week, marking the first such talks since the beginning of the wider regional conflict that started in October 2023, according to a report in The Times of Israel. An Iranian deputy foreign minister stated that while Iran is open to diplomacy, it requires guarantees from the U.S. that it will not resort to force. The official also asserted that Iran 'has every right to do enrichment within its territory.'
Welcome to today's live coverage of key developments across West Asia. After nearly two years of heightened tensions and regional conflict, the United States and Iran are preparing to resume nuclear talks in Oslo, in what could mark a critical turning point in regional diplomacy. Meanwhile, investigations into civilian harm near Gaza aid sites and a surge in PTSD diagnoses in Israel point to the deepening humanitarian and psychological toll of ongoing violence.
In other developments, Iran has indicated it will not escalate militarily unless provoked, while President Donald Trump has stated he is open to meeting Iranian leaders if needed. Amid these shifts, a vote on Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been delayed following intense debate within the European Broadcasting Union.
Stay tuned for updates as events unfold:
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