Middle Orient

The United States on Wednesday played down the prospect of higher-level talks with Iran after Iran’s foreign minister was quoted as saying his government was open to moving negotiations to a more senior level.

Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran wrapped up a three-day mission to Lebanon Wednesday without making much headway in breaking an eight-month deadlock among the country’s feuding political parties.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to boost relations with Libya as he met with the country’s leader Muammar Qadhafi on Wednesday as a reward for the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor.

Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist gunmen at a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.

Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Wednesday held intensive talks here over the Arab peace plan and called for a rapid timetable for talks with the Palestinians over statehood.

King Abdullah on Tuesday urged the US to intensify its efforts in the coming weeks and months to boost the Middle East peace process.

Arab League envoys paid a historic visit to Israel on Wednesday to present a plan calling for a comprehensive regional settlement, saying they were extending “a hand of peace” on behalf of the Arab world.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan are in Israel to present the Arab League’s Middle East peace plan. The two ministers are meeting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli officials.

Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.

Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, who faced the death penalty in Libya until last week, were pardoned by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov on Tuesday (July 24th), less than an hour after they landed in Sofia.