The situation in the Middle East remains tense and unstable. Reports of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad reflect only attempts to establish a dialogue; the contacts are irregular and have not yet yielded any results. At the same time, Israel, despite the declared ceasefire, continues to strike Lebanon, which indicates a de facto violation of the ceasefire. In general, the region remains in a state of protracted escalation, and the risks of further escalation remain.

Armenian News-NEWS.am presents below a brief overview of the key developments that took place in and regarding the Middle East on Thursday night.

President Donald Trump announced that the US has already defeated Iran. However, the nuclear threat from Tehran remains.

The real cost of the US operation against Iran is almost $50 billion, which is about twice the public estimate of the Pentagon, according to some US officials familiar with the internal estimates, CBS News reported.

The United States will not agree to supply Iran with nuclear materials intended for peaceful purposes as part of the conflict resolution, President Donald Trump said.

Since the beginning of the blockade, the US Navy has stopped 44 Iranian-related commercial ships that were leaving or heading to Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East said on Thursday.