Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at limited progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks, Israeli forces killing Hamas’s new military leader, and corruption allegations within Spain’s ruling Socialist Party.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of stalling peace talks in the hopes that looming U.S. midterm elections might force the White House to cave on several key demands. “They thought they were going to outwait me,” Trump said during a televised cabinet meeting.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at limited progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks, Israeli forces killing Hamas’s new military leader, and corruption allegations within Spain’s ruling Socialist Party.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of stalling peace talks in the hopes that looming U.S. midterm elections might force the White House to cave on several key demands. “They thought they were going to outwait me,” Trump said during a televised cabinet meeting.

With Trump facing low public approval ratings, Republicans appear concerned that rising fuel prices due to the Iran war could cause the party to lose control of Congress come November. Still, Trump insisted on Wednesday, “I don’t care about the midterms,” and he expressed confidence that a deal to end the war was in reach.

The Iranians “want very much to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that, or we’ll have to just finish the job.” The day before, U.S. forces launched so-called “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran, prompting Tehran to accuse Washington of violating the two countries’ precarious cease-fire.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed on Wednesday that “diplomacy is always the first option” when it comes to ending the conflict, even as Trump said that Tehran is “negotiating on fumes.” Experts suggest that this mixed messaging—as well as continued U.S. threats of active fighting—could jeopardize the peace talks.

Several issues appear to remain........

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