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I gave it two weeks. Silly optimist.
- Iran’s parliament speaker and head negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has dismissed US threats, saying Tehran is prepared to respond if necessary.
- A draft has been finalised regarding sanctions waivers for Iranian oil, Hussein Gurbanzadeh, a member of Iran’s negotiating team, has told state media.
- Germany’s Defence Minister has blamed Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hezbollah has rejected the Lebanese government’s direct talks with the US, saying the negotiations would undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and serve Israeli interests.
- The group’s chief, Naim Qassem, said Israel will not remain in Lebanon, and Hezbollah will respond to any ceasefire violation.
They’re still chatting in Switzerland. But I’ll believe an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon when I see it, even though Netanyahu is caught between losing the election by withdrawing and losing the election by jeopardising American support.
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About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific's leading geo-politics and economics portal.
He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.
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