Israel and Iran delegations meet at Azerbaijan conference in Baku

Delegations from Middle Eastern and Asian nations involved in political and military conflicts gathered in Baku on Thursday for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Euronews reported. The summit was hosted by Azerbaijan, whose government described the nation as a connecting hub in the Eurasian space. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi both attended the meeting, marking the first such engagement between representatives of the two states since the outbreak of the Iran war. [1]

The gathering brought together several top diplomats and state leaders, according to Euronews. The participants included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev organized the event, which centered on confidence-building measures across the region. [1]

Separately, crude oil prices fell by more than 1 per cent on Thursday as investors evaluated global supply risks against United States efforts to ease shipping costs, the Irish Times reported. Brent crude futures dropped 1.6 per cent to $104.42 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1 per cent to $94.11. The price drop followed threats from Iran to increase military strikes in response to a United States blockade of its ports and recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Aramco headquarters. [2]

Energy and economic strains from the Middle East conflict have extended globally, as FTMQ News reported earlier. European natural gas futures previously surged to a four-year high of €87.20 per megawatt-hour due to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. International financial institutions have also warned that rising crude oil costs could drive up inflation and fuel prices internationally. [15][16]