Pakistan PM Meets Chinese President During Regional Diplomacy Efforts

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Sharif arrived in the Chinese capital with top negotiator Field Marshal Asim Munir and held earlier talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.

The meetings took place while several countries pursue diplomatic channels to formally end the US-Israel war on Iran.

Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said both countries have reached a framework but described a deal as not imminent. An assistant professor at the American University of Rome stated that positions on both sides have softened and some red lines have shifted.

A senior fellow at the Middle East Institute said Iran is determined to hold on until it secures an economic lifeline, either through the Strait of Hormuz or sanctions relief.

The Israeli military reported a drone struck an area of its troop operations in southern Lebanon after sirens sounded in northern Israel. No injuries were reported and the incident remains under review. Israeli forces also targeted the municipality of al-Haniyah and surrounding areas in southern Lebanon with incendiary bombs, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Oil prices fell more than $5 to two-week lows, with Brent crude trading at $98.45 a barrel. Asian emerging market equities rose 0.6 percent and several regional currencies strengthened. Japan’s Nikkei share average passed the 65,000 level for the first time, while gold prices increased more than 1 percent.