The U.N. World Food Program has agreed to help deliver aid for the starving civilians of Gaza once the U.S. military completes a pier for transporting the humanitarian assistance by sea. That's according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The involvement of the U.N. agency could help resolve one of the major obstacles facing the U.S.-planned project — the reluctance of aid groups to handle on-the-ground distribution of food and other badly needed goods in Gaza. An Israeli military attack April 1 that killed seven aid workers intensified international criticism of Israel for failing to provide security for humanitarian workers. U.S. officials say conditions that would allow the aid to be delivered safely are still being negotiated.

Israel and Iran are both playing down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran. The muted public responses signal the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regionwide war. But the indecisive outcome of weeks of tensions — which included an alleged Israeli strike that killed two Iranian generals, an unprecedented Iranian missile barrage on Israel and the apparent Israeli strike early Friday in the heart of Iran — has done little to resolve the deeper grievances between the foes and left the door open to further fighting.

World leaders are calling on Iran and Israel to try to avoid escalating tensions following the apparent Israeli strike near an Iranian air base and nuclear facility. Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Italy warned Friday of new sanctions against Iran for its drone and missile attack on Israel last weekend, and urged both sides to avoid worsening the conflict. The apparent Israeli attack on Iran early Friday saw troops fire air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan. Israel also carried out a missile strike targeting an air defense unit in southern Syria that caused material damage, according to the state-run SANA news agency.

China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology Moscow uses to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry. That's according to two senior Biden administration officials who discussed the sensitive findings last week on the condition of anonymity. The officials say last year about 90% of Russia’s microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used in missiles, tanks and aircraft. Nearly 70% of Russia’s approximately $900 million in machine tool imports in the last quarter of 2023 came from China. China says it’s not providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections.