Trump pushes for Strait of Hormuz reopening without tolls: White House
President Donald Trump wants to see the Strait of Hormuz open up for oil tankers and other traffic without any limitations, including tolls, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
"The immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations, whether in the form of tolls or otherwise," Leavitt said.
The US has seen an uptick in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt was asked who currently controlled the Strait of Hormuz and declined to answer.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime chokepoints, with about 20 per cent of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas flows passing through it.
Iran has indicated it would turn over enriched uranium: White House
Iran has indicated it would turn over its stocks of enriched uranium, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
Italy summons Israeli ambassador after shots fired at UN in Lebanon
Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador on Wednesday to demand an explanation over shots fired at an Italian convoy in a UN mission in Lebanon, the foreign minister said, warning Israeli forces had "no authority to touch" Rome's troops.
The UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along a demarcation line with Israel - an area that has seen major clashes between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
"Israeli warning shots have damaged one of our vehicles; fortunately, no one was injured," Antonio Tajani said in the lower house of parliament. He later wrote on X that he had ordered that the Israeli ambassador be summoned.
"It is completely unacceptable that personnel operating under the UN flag should be put at risk by irresponsible actions such as today's, which are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said separately.
Meloni called for an end to the war in Lebanon, building on the US-Iran ceasefire.
Death toll from Israeli strikes across Lebanon rises to 254
Death toll from Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday rises to 254, says Lebanese civil defence.
Trump says Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire deal "because of Hezbollah".
"They were not included in the deal. That'll get taken care of, too. It's all right," he said in a brief telephone interview with PBS News Hour.
When asked about Israel continuing its strikes in Lebanon, he said, "It's part of the deal - everyone knows that. That's a separate skirmish."
Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups carried out drone attacks near Baghdad Airport: US Embassy
US Embassy in Baghdad said in a post on X, Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups carried out drone attacks near diplomatic facility and Baghdad Airport on Wednesday.
Still 'a lot of work to do' to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Starmer
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday there was still a lot of work to do to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
“We now ... have a ceasefire, but there’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see," he told UK and Saudi personnel during the visit.
“But also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world."
White House says nothing final in plans for talks
The White House on Wednesday said "nothing is final" over plans for in-person talks over Iran.
In response to questions about whether US Vice President JD Vance would be participating in US-Iran talks expected to be held later this week in Pakistan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, "There are discussions about in person talks, but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House."
The vice president is in Hungary, where he was supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of upcoming elections.
Hegseth says US could strike again
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said the US could strike again if Iran does not hand over enriched uranium.
The Pentagon chief did not offer any details about whether Iran had agreed to Trump's statement that the US would work with them to "dig up" the buried material.
However, Hegseth said Iran will "give it to us voluntarily," or the US might do "something like" its strikes last summer with Israel hitting Iran's nuclear sites. "We reserve that opportunity," Hegseth said.
Iran's foreign minister discusses ceasefire breaches with Pakistan Army commander
Iran's foreign minister discusses ceasefire breaches in Iran and Lebanon in phone call with Pakistan Army commander, says foreign ministry.
Lebanese PM says Israeli strikes hit residential areas
Lebanese Prime Minister said Israeli attacks hit densely populated residential areas.
He said Israel is ignoring regional and international ceasefire efforts.
First ship passes through Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s permission after ceasefire
The first ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s permission following the ceasefire, state television reported.
Iran wary ahead of US talks, warns war has altered Strait of Hormuz outlook
Iran will approach peace talks with the U.S. with far more caution than in previous negotiations due to a big gap in trust, and the war will affect the future legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said on Wednesday.
The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, suspending a six-week-old war that has killed thousands, spread across the Middle East and caused unprecedented disruption to the world's energy supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement late on Tuesday, two hours before a deadline he had set for Iran to open the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its "whole civilisation".
"We are not putting any trust in the other side. Our military forces are keeping their preparedness...but meanwhile, we will go for negotiations to see how serious the other side is," the ambassador, Ali Bahreini, told Reuters.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had invited Iranian and U.S. delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday for what would be the first official peace talks since the war began, and that Iran's president had confirmed it would attend.
Previous nuclear talks in Geneva in late February ended with some progress but no breakthrough, and were set to resume the following week in Vienna, before the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran two days later.
"Because of that reason, everything is now temporary. Even the arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz is temporary," Bahreini said.
Iran armed forces vow support to regional allies, warn of stronger response to US, Israel
Iran’s armed forces said they will support the resistance fronts in Lebanon, Palestinians, Yemen, and Iraq.
They warned of a stronger response against any renewed attacks from the United States or Israel.
The armed forces said Iran will manage the Strait of Hormuz proactively and control it intelligently.
They added that the United States would be treated as a party to any Israeli attack and would face a decisive response.
UK, France, Germany, EU urge swift negotiated settlement, call for ceasefire implementation
In a joint statement, the UK, France, Germany and the European Union strongly encouraged quick progress towards a substantive negotiated settlement, saying it will be crucial to protect Iranian civilians and ensure regional security.
They called upon all sides to implement the ceasefire, including in Lebanon.
The governments said they will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hegseth claims ‘decisive victory’ in Iran, says missile programme destroyed
U.S. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States had a decisive military victory in Operation Epic Fury and that Iran begged for the ceasefire.
He said Iran’s missile programme is functionally destroyed and its factories have been razed to the ground.
According to him, the U.S. carried out 800 strikes on Tuesday night, destroying Iran’s defence industrial base.
He said Iran’s new supreme leader is wounded and disfigured and that now there is a chance at real peace and that the Pentagon has done its part for now.
He warned U.S. troops involved in the Iran operation to stay ready.
Saudi Arabia’s key east-west oil pipeline attacked
Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline was hit in an Iranian attack and damage was being assessed, while other facilities were also targeted, an industry source told Reuters on Wednesday.
The pipeline is the only outlet for Saudi crude exports after Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel's latest round of bombardment heaviest Lebanon has witnessed
Israel's latest round of bombardment is the heaviest Lebanon has witnessed since the war between Hezbollah and Israel started early last month, a Lebanese security source told Reuters.
Consecutive bombs shook the capital Beirut and smoke enveloped its skies. One of the strikes on a crowded neighborhood killed at least 12 people, a security source said.
Bloodied and injured, people in the capital Beirut abandoned their cars in traffic and headed to the nearest hospital, according to Reuters' witnesses.
Top US general says over 13,000 targets hit in Iran, warns ceasefire is only a pause
Top U.S. General Caine said U.S. joint forces struck more than 13,000 targets in the Iran operation.
He said the ceasefire is a pause and the joint force remains ready to resume combat.
Caine said U.S. military objectives in Iran have been met.
He added that it will take years for Iran to rebuild any major surface combatants.
Pakistan's prime minister thanks China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar for supporting ceasefire process
Shehbaz Sharif has thanked China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar for supporting the ceasefire process, as reported by Al Jazeera.
In a post on X, he said these countries extended “invaluable and all out support towards reaching the ceasefire” and gave “peaceful diplomatic efforts a chance to seek a comprehensive and conclusive end to the conflict”.
Sharif also thanked the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and said their “consistent support and commitment to peace and stability in the region remains quintessential” to Pakistan’s efforts in the ceasefire process.
“The leadership of all our brotherly countries” and the US “demonstrated exceptional strategic foresight, sagacity and patience in giving peace a chance”, he added.
