Trump to visit Xi Jinping in China on May 14 and 15 after Iran war delay
United States President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May, delaying a planned trip by several weeks as the war against Iran drags on, Reuters reported.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday that Trump’s trip will now take place on May 14 and 15, instead of its originally planned dates, from March 31 to April 2.
She added that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump expect to host Xi during a visit to Washington, DC, later in the year, according to Reuters.
Iran wants Lebanon included in any ceasefire, sources say
Iran has told intermediaries that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement with the United States and Israel, six regional sources familiar with Iran's position said, linking an end of the war to a halt to Israel's offensive against Hezbollah, Reuters reported.
Iran's Press TV on Wednesday cited an Iranian official saying Tehran wanted any deal with the United States to secure an end to the war both on Iran and other "resistance groups" in the region.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Tehran was still reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the regional war raging for nearly a month, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.
Iran says it is reviewing US proposal to end war
Iran is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war in the Gulf but has no intention of holding talks to end the ‌widening Middle East conflict, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi suggested some willingness by Tehran to negotiate an end to the war if its demands were met, despite an initial response that was negative as Iranian officials publicly poured scorn on the prospect of any negotiations with the U.S.
The exchange of messages through mediators "does not mean negotiations with the U.S.," Araqchi said on state television, according to Reuters.
Iran's rejection of US talks reflects deep mistrust
Iranian officials denied any talks had taken place. One military spokesperson even mocked the claim, saying Americans had been "negotiating with themselves".
The gap is clear. Washington talks about progress; Tehran rejects it outright. But this is not just a disagreement; it reflects deep mistrust, BBC reported.
That mistrust comes from recent events.
Over the past year, talks between the two sides have twice raised hopes of easing tensions, with the last round said by their Omani host to have addressed key US concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.
