Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after President Trump extended a cease-fire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian media said the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was bringing the two ships to Iran, marking a further escalation, though the White House said the seizures didn’t violate cease-fire terms.
See a recap.
CENTCOM says more than 30 ships affected by US blockade — 10:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US military’s Central Command said Thursday its forces in the Mideast had “directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the US blockade against Iran.”
Panama condemns ‘illegal seizure’ of a vessel traveling under its flag through Strait of Hormuz — 7:59 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Central American nation’s foreign ministry wrote in a statement that the boat, owned by the Italian company MSC Francesca, was “forcibly taken” into Iranian waters on Wednesday, and it accused Iran of violating international law. It wasn’t immediately clear if the boat remained in Iranian custody.
The seizure “represents a serious attack on maritime security and constitutes an unnecessary escalation,” it wrote.
Panama has one of the largest ship registries, with around 16% of the world’s ships flying under the country’s flag, according to 2024 data from Panamanian authorities.
Pentagon says it will take months to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz, AP source says — 7:56 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Pentagon told lawmakers this week it will likely take six months to clear the mines set in the strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.
Officials from the Department of Defense delivered the information during a classified briefing at the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
The session left more questions than answers as lawmakers probed for information about the cost of the war against Iran, the strategy and objectives, the person said. The lawmakers also raised questions that have still gone unanswered about the strike on a school compound during the early days of the war.
Senators have again rejected a Democratic attempt to halt Trump’s war in Iran — 6:28 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US Senate rejected the resolution 46-51 as Republicans in Congress have largely backed Trump’s military efforts.
It was the fifth time this year that the Senate voted to cede its war powers to the president in a conflict that Democrats say is illegal and unjustified. The resolution would require the U.S. to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.
“The longer Trump waits to extricate the US from this war, the deeper the hole gets and the harder it will be for him to get out,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Republicans have been reluctant to criticize Trump or the war, even as they say they want it to end quickly.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that most Republicans believe “that the president is correct in making sure Iran can’t threaten the world with a nuclear weapon.”
Israeli strike kills at least 5 people in Gaza, hospital says — 6:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
At least five people, including three children, were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Wednesday night, according to Shifa hospital, where the bodies were taken.
Local health authorities said the group of people was targeted by a drone while they were in a street in Beit Lahiya, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 780 people since the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was put in place six months ago, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths.
Overall, the health ministry says 72,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
US stocks rally to records, but Brent oil also tops $100 on worries about the Iran war — 5:02 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US stock market rallied to more records after GE Vernova, Boston Scientific and other big companies joined the parade reporting fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. But caution still hung over Wall Street, and oil prices rose on uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran.
The S&P 500 jumped 1 percent and topped its prior all-time high set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 340 points, or 0.7 percent, and the Nasdaq composite set its own record after jumping 1.6 percent.
Strong performances have helped the S&P 500 power higher, and the index recorded its 13th gain in its last 16 days.
Still, another rise in oil prices helped keep enthusiasm in check on Wall Street. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed 3.5 percent to $101.91.
Paramedics recover body of Lebanese journalist hours after Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon — 4:50 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The body of a Lebanese journalist killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon y has been pulled from under the rubble hours after the attack.
The daily Al-Akhbar newspaper confirmed that its reporter, Amal Khalil, was killed in the strike on the southern village of al-Tiri.
Information Minister Paul Morcos also confirmed Khalil’s death.
Khalil had been covering the Israel-Hezbollah war since it started in October 2023 and had been reporting from different parts of southern Lebanon on the hostilities.
Earlier on Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, called on the international community to immediately pressure the Israeli army to allow the rescue of Khalil.
Iran says it is prepared for 2026 World Cup participation in the US — 4:24 p.m.
By the Associated Press
However, it was unclear whether it would ultimately take part.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports made an announcement about the full preparedness of our national soccer team for presence in the 2026 World Cup in the US, by the order of the minister,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohejerani told Iran’s state TV on Wednesday.
“They informed that the necessary arrangements that these dear ones need for the team’s proud and successful participation, [have been made],” Mohejerani added.
The tournament is scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
White House says only Trump knows how long extension of Iran cease-fire will last — 3:43 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump hasn’t set a deadline for receiving a proposal from the Iranians.
“Ultimately, the timeline would be dictated by the commander in chief,” she said.
Trump announced a cease-fire extension on Tuesday.
White House says Iran seizing 2 ships doesn’t violate cease-fire terms — 3:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran taking control of two ships is not a violation of the truce terms because “these were not US or Israeli ships, these were two international vessels,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Channel.
She said Iran’s navy has been decimated and that the ships in question “were taken by speedy gun boats,” meaning that Iran is acting “like a bunch of pirates.”
Leavitt said Trump’s blockade remains in place “on ships coming to and from Iranian ports” and that the seizure by Iranian forces “is piracy that we are seeing on display.”
Hezbollah says it launched drones at Israeli positions in southern Lebanon — 3:06 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The group added in a statement that the two attacks targeting soldiers and vehicles in the village of Qantara on Wednesday evening were in retaliation for alleged Israeli violations of the 10-day cease-fire that took effect Friday.
The strikes marked the group’s third attack on Wednesday. Israel did not immediately comment on the latest attacks but has previously accused Hezbollah of breaching the cease-fire.
Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli troops fired at rescuers searching for missing journalist — 2:33 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The ministry said two Israeli strikes on al-Tiri in southern Lebanon killed two people. The journalist Amal Khalil and her colleague took cover in a house, which the ministry said was targeted in the second strike. When rescuers arrived, they were able to recover the two bodies and one injured journalist. But the Israeli military fired live ammunition at the ambulance, preventing the team from completing the search for Khalil, the ministry said. Lebanon’s National News Agency showed pictures of the damage to the ambulance.
Khalil’s condition is not clear. She is a prominent journalist with the Lebanese daily Al-AKhbar.
Israel’s military alleged the individuals in the village violated the ceasefire, posing a risk to the troops’ safety. It denied that it prevented rescue teams from reaching the area or that it targets journalists.
Reopening Strait of Hormuz ‘impossible’ amid breaches, Iranian official says — 2:23 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime/naval blockade and taking the world’s economy hostage, and if the Zionist warmongering across all fronts is halted,” Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Wednesday.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible with such flagrant breach of the ceasefire,” Qalibaf added. “The only way forward is to recognize the rights of the Iranian nation.”
Israeli military says it struck targets in south Lebanon, denies blocking rescue — 1:59 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Lebanese officials and Reporters Without Borders said a journalist was missing following an Israeli strike near the southern village of al-Tiri on Wednesday, while another journalist was wounded.
The Israeli military said it struck a vehicle and a structure in the area after identifying what it described as militants posing an immediate threat near the border.
The military said it was aware of reports that journalists were injured but did not confirm them and denied preventing rescue teams from reaching the area.
The details of the incident are under review, it added.
Trump says Iran respected his request, will free women whose release he demanded — 1:58 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president said he has been informed that four of the women will be “released immediately,” while four others will be sentenced to one month each in prison.
“I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request ... and terminated the planned execution,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
He said the women protesters were expected to be executed Wednesday.
Rights groups that monitor Iran had said two of the women were already released on bail in March, and two others were known to face charges that carry the death sentences. They had been arrested during the January anti-government protests.
Trump re-posted a photo of the women, including two teen girls, on Tuesday on social media, which a conservative activist noted are facing prosecution in Iran.
The Iranian judiciary responded promptly, denying that any of them were on the verge of execution, saying some were already released.
Lebanon’s Health ministry says Israeli strike on southern Lebanon kills 2 — 1:15 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The ministry added that the Wednesday afternoon strike on the village of Yohmor also wounded two people.
UN’s global shipping regulation body condemns Persian Gulf shipping attacks — 1:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, on Wednesday condemned attacks on shipping after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, seizing two and taking them to Iran. Earlier, Trump said the United States would continue to blockade Iranian ports.
“The attacks on and seizures of commercial ships are unacceptable,” Dominguez said, urging an immediate halt and the release of vessels and crews. He warned that the situation remains “extremely volatile” and questioned why companies risk seafarers’ lives.
Nearly 20,000 seafarers remain at sea after seven weeks, uncertain when they can return home, he added.
Firm says over 10M barrels of Iranian oil left Persian Gulf since US blockade of Iran’s ports — 12:38 p.m.
By the Associated Press
An analytics firm focusing on global energy and freight markets says it recorded 34 movements of sanctioned and Iranian-linked tankers in and out of the Persian Gulf in the week after the US imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The firm, Vortexa, says it identified 19 outbound and 15 inbound movements of such vessels between April 13 and Monday.
Six of those outbound movements were “confirmed laden with Iranian crude, representing about 10.7 million barrels,” it said in an email to The Associated Press.
It was not immediately clear whether all those barrels reached markets overseas.
Lebanese journalist missing after Israeli strike on southern Lebanon — 12:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, called on the international community on Wednesday to immediately pressure the Israeli army into allowing the rescue of journalist Amal Khalil, who works for the daily Al-Akhbar.
RSF added that Khalil is currently trapped near the southern Lebanese village of al-Tiri following an Israeli airstrike close to her vehicle.
“Her life is in danger right now! Continued Israeli airstrikes are preventing rescuers from reaching her,” RSF said.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun called on the Lebanese Red Cross to work on the rescue of Khalil, along with another journalist, Zeinab Faraj, who was with her.
Aoun requested the Lebanese Red Cross to coordinate with the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers “to carry out the rescue operation in the shortest possible time.”
Crew of a ship attacked in the Strait of Hormuz is safe, management company says — 11:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The management company of a container ship that was fired upon in the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday says the Liberian-registered Epaminondas was “approached and fired upon by a manned gunboat” while transiting the strait about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.
The Technomar company said all crew were “safe and accounted for” and no injuries were reported, but that preliminary inspections indicated the ship’s bridge had been damaged.
“Technomar remains in close contact with the crew and relevant authorities. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our crew as we work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure their continued safety and investigate the incident,” the company said. It did not provide further details, but said more information would be released “when there are material developments.”
Iranians have long sought work and relative stability in Turkey. The war could force some to return. — 11:07 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Sadri Haghshenas spends her days selling borek — a layered, savory pastry — at a shop in Istanbul, but her mind is on her daughter in Tehran.
The family had to send her home to Iran after they ran into difficulties renewing her visa, despite fears that a shaky ceasefire could soon collapse.
For years, short-term residency permits have allowed tens of thousands of Iranians to pursue economic opportunities and enjoy relative stability in neighboring Turkey. But it’s a precarious situation, and the war has raised the stakes.
“I swear, I cry every day,” Haghshenas said, raising her hands from behind the counter of the pastry shop. “There is no life in my country, there is no life here, what shall I do?”
Turkey hasn’t seen an influx of refugees, as most Iranians have sought safety within their country. Many who’ve crossed the land border were transiting to other countries where they have citizenship or residency.
Israeli strike kills two people in southern Lebanon despite cease-fire — 10:17 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The strike targeted a vehicle in the town of Tayri on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.
No further details on the identities of the victims were immediately available.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack.
The strike comes despite a 10-day ceasefire that went into effect Friday. Since then, several Israeli strikes have been reported, while Hezbollah has claimed a couple of attacks since Tuesday.
Macron posted on X that the soldier died in France a day after being transferred from Lebanon — 10:05 a.m.
By the Associated Press
On Saturday, a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others wounded, two of them seriously.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted that the soldier, who was repatriated Tuesday from Lebanon “where he had been seriously wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning from his injuries.”
Hezbollah had denied is was behind the attack.
Iran says it has yet to decide whether to join a new round of talks with the US — 9:57 a.m.
By the Associated Press
“We entered the negotiations in good faith and with seriousness, but the negotiating party (the United States) has shown disregard and lack of good faith,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, said Wednesday, according to Iran’s State TV.
A second round of negotiations, expected in Pakistan’s capital later this week, has not yet been confirmed. On Tuesday, President Trump extended a cease-fire with Iran indefinitely, leaving the next steps for resuming talks unclear.
“Iran has not yet decided whether it will participate in the new round of peace negotiations with the United States scheduled for later this week,” Baqaei said.
US stocks climb, but so do oil prices with uncertainty rising about the war with Iran — 9:56 a.m.
By the Associated Press
GE Vernova, Boston Scientific and Boeing are leading the US stock market toward another record after joining the list of companies reporting fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected.
But caution is still hanging over Wall Street on Wednesday, and oil prices are also rising on uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% and was on track to top its all-time high set Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 360 points and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil briefly topped $100.
Energy agency head says energy crisis will trigger major response by governments and industry — 9:18 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Talking about the repercussions of the Iran war, the head of the International Energy Agency said Wednesday that “we are facing the biggest energy crisis in the history.”
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin that what ”we lost in the this war is much bigger than all the crises put together in terms of oil and gas. Plus, plus, there are vital commodities that we are losing — petrochemicals, fertilizers, helium, sulfur.”
However, Birol also pointed out that “there will be a major response to this crisis as well” and that “it is now the job of the governments to design their energy policies in terms of industrial sector, while keeping the competitiveness of the existing industries, preparing the next steps for the tomorrow’s industries.”
He said he also expects that “there will be a similar response in all parts of the economy, car manufacturing industry, electric industry and in the industry sector.”
“And this is a wonderful opportunity,” he added.
Dozens of Israeli civilians attempt to enter Syria — 9:17 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Israeli military said it intercepted around 40 Israeli civilians that attempted to enter Syria on Wednesday afternoon. The military said the civilians gathered at the border and then were able to infiltrate several hundred meters into the Israeli-military controlled buffer zone in Syria before being returned to Israel and taken into police custody.
The Israeli media identified the infiltrators as part of the right-wing group “Pioneers of Bashan,” which calls for establishing Jewish settlements in Lebanon and Syria.
Hezbollah says it fired a drone at an Israeli post in southern Lebanon — 9:15 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The group added in a statement that its attack on the post in the southern village of Bayada on Wednesday came in retaliation for Israeli violations of the 10-day cease-fire that went into effect Friday.
The Israeli military said Hezbollah is violating the cease-fire adding that the Iran-backed group launched “a hostile aircraft” toward Israeli soldiers operating in the area of southern Lebanon.
The military said the aircraft was intercepted by Israel’s air force and did not cross into Israel.
Lebanon’s president says contacts ongoing to extend cease-fire — 8:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Joseph Aoun’s comments on Wednesday came a day before a second meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors.
Aoun said in comments released by his office that preparations are ongoing for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
He said the aim of the future talks is to “fully” stop Israeli attacks, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel, deployment of Lebanese troops along the border and beginning the reconstruction process.
Aoun said the support to Lebanon that was promised by US President Trump and other countries “provided us with an opportunity that we must not miss, as it may not come again.”
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war was halted by a 10-day cease-fire that went into effect Friday.
Iranian news agency suggests undersea cables vulnerable in Strait of Hormuz — 8:16 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A semiofficial news agency close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard again raised the idea Wednesday that Gulf Arab states remained vulnerable to having their undersea data cables being cut in the Strait of Hormuz.
The report by the Tasnim news agency suggested that “simultaneous damage to several major cables — whether through accidents or deliberate action — could trigger severe outages across the Persian Gulf.”
Multiple cables run through the strait. Already, the region has faced outages after undersea cables were cut multiple times in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels had threatened cables in the past.
Iranians waited tensely overnight to learn if cease-fire would continue — 8:12 a.m.
By the Associated Press
With uncertainty over whether the ceasefire lasts, residents of Tehran say they are anxious about what comes next.
“Last night my family all stayed awake, waiting for the clock to show 3:30 a.m. and see who really has the upper hand,” said Reza Tehrani, a 34-year-old resident of Tehran.
Tehrani said Trump is making a series of false claims, including that Iran will give up its enriched uranium. “It’s obvious that he will eventually take his warships back and nothing will happen. We will win, rest assured,” he said.
One resident voiced frustration with the uncertainty.
“We should know where we stand. Is it going to be a ceasefire, peace or the war is going to continue?” said Tehran resident Mashallah Mohammad Sadegh, 59. “The way things currently are, one doesn’t know what to do.”
EU energy chief warns war could hit prices for years to come — 7:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The European Union’s top energy official is warning that the massive energy crisis sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran is set to hit prices for months, even years, to come.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said Wednesday that “this is this is not a short-term, small increase in prices. This is a crisis that is probably as serious as the 1973 and the 2022 crises combined.”
Jørgensen says the war is costing Europe around 500 million euros ($600 million) each day and that “we are looking into some very difficult months, or maybe even years” ahead. “Even in a best-case scenario, it’s still bad,” he told reporters.
Iran acknowledges cease-fire extension — 7:19 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei acknowledged the cease-fire extension in comments reported Wednesday by Iranian state television.
Baghaei did not specifically say Tehran was ready to attend a new round of talks with the United States in Islamabad.
“Diplomacy is a tool for securing national interests and security, and whenever we reach the conclusion that the necessary and reasonable conditions exist to use this tool to achieve national interests and to consolidate the achievements of the Iranian nation in thwarting the enemies’ malicious objectives, we will take action,” he reportedly said.
2 of 8 Iranian women whose release Donald Trump called for are already out on bail, rights center says — 7:18 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said an emergency doctor, Golnar Naraqi, and an Iranian citizen of the Bahai faith, Venus Hossein Nejad, have been out on bail since late March.
The two women were arrested separately during the January anti-government protests. The protests across Iran were met with a bloody crackdown that left thousands killed and arrested.
In a social media post Tuesday, US President Trump re-posted a photo of six women and two teen girls that a conservative activist said are facing prosecution by the Iranian government.
Iran’s judiciary swiftly responded, saying some of the women have already been released without naming them. It said none of them face the death sentence. Internet restrictions have limited the flow of information out of Iran.
Rights groups say at least two of the other women still in detention are facing charges that carry the death sentence. There have been multiple executions during the war against alleged spies and protesters, mostly accused of links to Israel.
Revolutionary Guard attacks a third ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news agencies report — 7:17 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has attacked a third ship Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported.
Nour News, Fars and Mehr all reported the attack by the Guard on a vessel called the Euphoria. They said the vessel had become “stranded” on the Iranian coast, without elaborating.
The Guard has seized the other two ships that were attacked, Iranian state television separately reported.
Iranian state TV says 2 vessels attacked by Revolutionary Guard are in the force’s custody — 7:15 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Two ships earlier attacked Wednesday by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard now are in the force’s custody and are being taken to Iran, Iranian state television reported.
It identified the vessels as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas. The ship’s owners could not be immediately reached for comment.
The seizures represent an Iranian escalation after the US earlier seized two Iranian vessels as cease-fire talks were due to take place in Islamabad.
The Guard said in a statement the ships “allegedly operated without authorization, repeatedly violated regulations, manipulated navigational aid systems and sought to covertly exit the Strait of Hormuz, endangering maritime security.”
The strait had been considered an international waterway open to all before the war, even though it sits in Iranian and Omani territorial waters.
Israel urges Lebanon to cooperate in order to dismantle Iran-backed Hezbollah — 7:09 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on Lebanon to work with Israel to disarm the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah ahead of negotiations in Washington on Thursday.
The meeting follows a similar gathering last week in Washington, and is the first time in decades the two countries are speaking directly.
“We don’t have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved,” Saar said during Independence Day remarks to Israel’s ambassadors and diplomatic corps.
“The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one: Hezbollah,” he said, adding that Lebanon could have “a future of sovereignty, independence and freedom from the Iranian occupation.”
Israel’s military has currently established a buffer zone stretching around 10 kilometers (6 miles) into southern Lebanon to remove the threat of short-range rockets and anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel.
Pakistani analyst says Trump likely views Iran port blockade as more effective than force — 5:38 a.m.
By the Associated Press
An independent Islamabad-based analyst, Syed Mohammad Ali, says President Trump has apparently concluded that a blockade of Iranian ports is a more effective way to pressure Iran’s already fragile economy than the continued use of force.
“As far as Trump’s war strategy is concerned, this blockade appears to be less expensive and more effective,” he said Wednesday.
Ali said prospects for a second round of talks between the United States and Iran have not yet faded, as Pakistan, with support from regional countries, continues efforts to prevent the collapse of negotiations in order to preserve peace in the region.
He said securing an extension of the cease-fire for an indefinite period from Trump is an achievement for Pakistan.
China says it’s ‘imperative’ to prevent conflict from reigniting — 5:30 a.m.
By the Associated Press
China said after the announcement of an extension of the cease-fire that it is “imperative” to keep the conflict from reigniting.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Wednesday that the current situation in the Middle East is at “a critical stage.” He said China “is ready” to work with the international community to maintain peace, following four principles President Xi Jinping proposed a few days earlier, including peaceful coexistence and adherence to international law.
“It’s imperative to prevent the recurrence of the conflict with utmost efforts,” he said.
Iranian diplomat says country ‘won’t negotiate under threat’ — 5:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The United States must end its blockade on Iran as a prerequisite for any further ceasefire talks in Islamabad, an Iranian diplomat said Wednesday.
Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, the head of the Iranian mission in Egypt, told The Associated Press that communications with Pakistani mediators are underway “to implement Iran’s conditions.”
“We won’t negotiate under threat,” he said. “We won’t go to Islamabad before the lifting of the blockade.”
He accused the US of using the cease-fire to build up more forces for a possible resumption of military action against the Islamic Republic.
“Behind the scenes, they say something, but in public, they say and do something else,” he said.
Pakistan focuses on keeping talks alive — 4:48 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Pakistan’s top political and military leadership has worked to prevent talks from collapsing and to persuade the US to extend the cease-fire over the past 24 hours, officials said Wednesday.
Two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press that authorities will keep security arrangements in place in Islamabad in case US and Iranian delegations ultimately arrive.
Pakistan is also still waiting to hear from Tehran on when it will send a delegation for a second round, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
In Islamabad, police and troops remained on alert along key roads, manning checkpoints.
Residents were forced to take longer routes as authorities restricted access to parts of the city.
“We have not received any instructions to remove these barricades,” said police officer Mohammad Aslam as he directed commuters to turn back and use alternative routes.
Pakistan’s top diplomat meets British high commissioner in Islamabad — 4:30 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met British High Commissioner Jane Marriott on Wednesday in the capital, Islamabad, to discuss the evolving regional situation.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Dar underscored Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate diplomatic engagement and stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Marriott appreciated Pakistan’s facilitative role in bringing the United States and Iran to the negotiating table, the ministry said.
Second ship comes under attack in Strait of Hormuz — 4:08 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A second ship came under attack Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said, just a short time after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center did not immediately identify who shot at the second ship.
However, suspicion immediately fell on Iran, whose paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier opened fire on the container ship.
In the second attack, the cargo ship said it had been fired upon and was stopped in the water.
It said there was no reported damage to the vessel.
The attacks come days after the US seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend, and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.
Iranian missile rallies seen across country — 4:00 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Hard-line supporters of Iran’s government held rallies across the country late Tuesday that included the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard bringing missiles and their launchers into public places for the first time since the cease-fire in the war with Israel and the United States.
The scale of the demonstrations served as a sign of defiance to Israel and the US, which devoted a lot of their airstrike campaign to decimating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.
Iranian state media showed pictures, videos and wrote about missile demonstrations in Ahvaz, Arak, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Kerman, Tabriz, Tehran, Qom and Zanjan.
The missiles included the Faheh, the Kheibar Shekan, the Khorramshahr-4 and the Qadr.
Some of those include the cluster munitions used repeatedly against Israel during the war as a means to get around the country’s air defenses.
Drone strike on eastern Lebanon kills 1 — 3:49 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the drone strike on the village of Jabbour early Wednesday also wounded two people.
The Israeli military denied that it had struck in that area.
Since a 10-day cease-fire went into effect Friday, there have been several Israeli strikes while Hezbollah claimed its first attack Tuesday.
Military planners meet on Hormuz mission — 3:40 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Britain and France are gathering military planners from about 30 countries to flesh out details of a mission to provide security in the Strait of Hormuz — if and when the key shipping route reopens.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said the two-day meeting at a UK command-and-control center in London aims to “turn diplomatic consensus into a detailed military plan.”
The plan is for an international mission to protect merchant vessels, clear mines and provide reassurance, and is dependent on a “sustainable” cease-fire being reached in the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Countries, including France and the UK, have pledged to send ships and mine-clearing drones.
Despite skepticism that the plan will ever be put into action, British Defense Secretary John Healey said Wednesday he is “confident that, over the next two days, real progress can be made.”
Iran hangs another man over alleged ties to Mossad — 2:40 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran hanged another man Wednesday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency as Tehran continues a series of executions during the war, and after nationwide protests in January.
The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of Mehdi Farid.
It described Farid as working for a “sensitive state organization” and passing information to the Israeli spy agency.
It said Farid was convicted in Iran’s Qom province.
Human rights activists have long said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.
There have been multiple executions of alleged spies recently, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.
Container ship in strait ‘ignored the warnings’ before attack, Iranian website says — 1:59 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Nour News, a website long affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Guard opened fire on the container ship after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces.”
Nour News added the ship sustained “extensive damage” in the attack.
Although the US focused much of its fire in the war on Iran’s navy, sinking and heavily damaging dozens of vessels, the Guard operates a fleet of small attack boats, some of which apparently survived the war.
Those vessels typically carry mounted machine guns, and can be used for mining operations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opens fire on ship in Strait of Hormuz — 1:50 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire Wednesday on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned cease-fire talks in Pakistan failed to materialize.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened around 7:55 a.m. in the strait and targeted a container ship.
The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hail the ship before firing.
It said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies, believed to be close to the Guard, both reported on the attack, citing the UKMTO.
Fars went further to describe Iran as “lawfully enforcing” its control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas traded once passed.
However, the strait had been considered an international waterway for the world’s shippers despite being in the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman.
The attack comes after the US military seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it this past weekend, and after it boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.