Iraq wants to mediate the Saudi-Iran conflict with regional summit: Iraq has invited Iran and its long-term foes in the Gulf to a summit in Baghdad in a bid to ease tensions, Reuters reports. Egypt and Jordan have also been invited to the Baghdad meeting along with Turkey and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Kuwait being the only Gulf state to confirm its participation.

When it comes to China, Wall Street wants one thing… An influential group of Wall Street insiders and Chinese officials formed during the tensions between the US and China in 2018 will meet before the end of the year, Bloomberg reports. The US financial industry has become increasingly involved in what it sees as a huge and largely untapped market, and has sought direct ties to the Chinese government as it gradually opens its financial sector to foreign firms.

…and Washington wants another: Tensions between the two countries have escalated again in recent days, with the US vice president yesterday accusing China of bullying its Southeast Asian neighbors, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry responding by slamming the US for meddling in regional affairs.

An oil spill is blackening Syria’s coast after a leak at an oil refinery in the northern port of Latakia, state news agency SANA reports. The spill has spread out over some 25.5 sqkm, the Associated Press reported yesterday evening.

Iran’s newly installed conservative foreign minister will lead negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, Bloomberg reports. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will resume nuclear talks after a two-month hiatus as Iran held elections and formed their new government in order to lift U.S. sanctions reimposed by the Trump administration.