The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, has stated from Budapest that Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The AFP agency reports the first steps of ships through the strait following the ceasefire announcement.
Two ships cross the Strait of Hormuz
Two ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen this strategic passage as part of a ceasefire agreement with the United States, as reported on Wednesday by the maritime tracking website MarineTraffic. "The bulk carrier NJ Earth, owned by a Greek shipowner, crossed the strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Daytona Beach, with a Liberian flag, made the crossing earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after leaving the port of Bandar Abbas," in Iran, according to the MarineTraffic X account. The United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire from Tuesday night to Wednesday. During this period, transits through the Strait of Hormuz will be carried out "in coordination with the Iranian armed forces," stated Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in X. "The transit of the NJ Earth ship may be a first sign of resumption, but it is still too early to say whether it is part of a broader reopening linked to the ceasefire or a previously granted authorization," clarified Ana Subasic, an analyst at Kpler, owner of MarineTraffic, to AFP.
Iran denounces attacks on a refinery after the ceasefire comes into effect
The National Iranian Oil Company denounced on Wednesday a "cowardly attack by enemies" on its refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, hours after the ceasefire with the United States and Israel came into effect. "Around 10 in the morning (6:30 GMT) this Wednesday, the facilities of the Lavan oil refinery on Lavan Island were subjected to a cowardly attack by enemies," the company reported in a statement carried by the Mehr agency. The alleged attack occurred hours after the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States came into effect in the early hours of Wednesday (Iranian time).
Kuwait denounces being targeted by Iranian drone attacks despite the ceasefire
Kuwait denounced on Wednesday that its oil facilities have been targeted since Wednesday morning by a wave of Iranian drone attacks despite the two-week ceasefire announced by the United States and Iran, according to Kuwaiti military sources. "Since 8:00 (5:00 GMT) this morning, Kuwaiti air defenses have been dealing with an intense wave of hostile and malicious Iranian attacks, during which 28 drones targeting the State of Kuwait were neutralized," said a statement from the Kuwaiti Army on its official X account. It stated that the Gulf country's armed forces "managed to intercept a large number of hostile drones, some of which targeted oil facilities and vital power plants, causing serious material damage to oil infrastructure, power plants, and desalination plants."
Azerbaijan celebrates ceasefire between Iran and the US and calls for reducing tensions in the Middle East
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, a country that shares a border with Iran, expressed its support for the two-week ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran and emphasized the importance of achieving a reduction in tensions in the Middle East. "We call on the parties to engage in productive dialogue aimed at solving existing problems and strengthening mutual trust," stated Azerbaijani diplomacy in a statement. According to Baku, "Azerbaijan is always ready to support initiatives aimed at strengthening solid peace, security, and cooperation in the region." The statement added that Baku "highly values the efforts of all mediating parties" to achieve this ceasefire.