Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz while reinforcing its control over this strategic maritime route, after US President Donald Trump announced the indefinite suspension of attacks, with no signs of peace talks resuming.
The status of a ceasefire in place for two weeks, set to expire earlier this week, remained uncertain.
In a sudden change of stance, hours after threatening to resume violence, Trump on Tuesday made what seemed like a unilateral announcement: the US would extend the ceasefire until discussing in peace talks an Iranian proposal to end the two-month-long war.
However, Iranian officials did not indicate accepting any extension of the truce and criticized Trump's decision to maintain the US Navy blockade on Iranian maritime trade, considered by Tehran as an act of war.
Lebanon denounces Israeli demolitions of homes in occupied areas after the ceasefire
In southern Lebanon, occupied since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last week, the Israeli army has been demolishing homes that it claims were used as outposts by the Iran-backed political and military group.
But the demolitions are happening on such a large scale that residents, Lebanese officials, and UN peacekeepers are increasingly concerned that a large number of people displaced by the recent war will have nowhere to return if the fragile ceasefire holds.
Journalists from The Associated Press could see from a hill overlooking Beit Lif - about 4 km (2.5 miles) north of the Lebanon-Israel border - that the village, where a few thousand people used to live, had been almost completely razed.
US Navy Secretary dismissed after months of disputes at the Pentagon
The US Navy Secretary, John Phelan, has been dismissed from his position after several months of internal disputes with top Pentagon officials.
Phelan, who until Wednesday was responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the US naval forces, was fired from his position, according to the Department of Defense spokesperson, Sean Parnell.
Trump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the World Cup
A high envoy of US President Donald Trump has asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, reported the Financial Times on Wednesday. The plan is an attempt to mend relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after both distanced themselves amid the US president's attacks on Pope Leon XIV over the war with Iran.
"I confirm that I have suggested to Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Italy replace Iran in the World Cup. I am Italian by birth, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurra in a tournament organized in the US. With four titles, they have the record to justify their inclusion," said US special envoy Paolo Zampolli to the FT.
EU leaders discuss energy, Ormuz crisis, and Ukraine in their first summit without Orbán
EU heads of state and government will examine for the first time on Thursday the immediate measures put on the table by Brussels to address the energy crisis stemming from the war in the Middle East - which keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed - in an informal summit also marked by geopolitical tensions with the US or China and the need to clarify the economic and security priorities of the bloc.
The leaders travel to Cyprus, the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council, at a tumultuous time in neighboring Middle East that raised alarms for the bloc when a British base on the island was drone-attacked by Iran in the early days of the war.
Several partners, including Spain and France, then came with maritime support to Cyprus, highlighting the need to clarify how to activate and ensure the operability of the mutual defense clause, set out in Article 42.7 of the Treaties but invoked only once in the past - by France, after the 2015 attacks - and on which leaders will discuss specifically, without expecting decisive conclusions at this meeting.
Trump claims credit for halting the execution of eight Iranian women, Tehran denies
US President Donald Trump claimed credit on Wednesday for the alleged suspension of the death sentence of eight Iranian women publicly denounced the day before, a claim Tehran dismissed as false.
The president described it as "very good news" and added that he had just "been informed that the eight women protesters who were to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be executed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison."
Iran blames US and Israel for insecurity in Ormuz during a meeting with Seoul
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told South Korea's special envoy Chang Byung-ha that "US and Israel aggression is the root of insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz" after the recent incidents reported in the area.
As reported by the Islamic Republic's government on X, Araghchi spoke on Wednesday with the South Korean envoy in Tehran about the "crimes" committed against Iran during this "40-day war" and urged the international community to take a clear and firm stance to condemn the attacks.
Dollar remains near a one-and-a-half-week high as Iran-US standoff persists
The dollar edged up slightly on Thursday and remained near a one-and-a-half-week high as the standoff between Iran and the United States in the Middle East war and the lack of progress in peace talks boosted oil prices above $100 per barrel, dampening investor sentiment.
Both sides remain divided on the ceasefire, their blockades, nuclear issues, and control of the strait, effectively keeping this strategic passage closed and causing an energy shock that hits economies worldwide.
Iran executes a man linked to an opposition group
Iran executed a man convicted for his links to both the exiled opposition group People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) and Israeli intelligence, as reported on Thursday by Mizan, the judiciary's outlet.
Mizan identified the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, stating that he had been a long-time member of the MEK and was found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.
His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out after the completion of legal procedures, Mizan added.
Iran demands the lifting of the US naval blockade for a total ceasefire
Iranian officials did not indicate accepting any extension of the truce and criticized Trump's decision to maintain the US Navy blockade on Iranian maritime trade, considered by Tehran as an act of war.
The President of the Iranian Parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated that a complete ceasefire would only make sense if the blockade was lifted.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic passage through which a fifth of the world's oil trade flowed before the war, is impossible with a "flagrant violation of the ceasefire," Qalibaf noted on social media.
Iran strengthens its control over the Strait of Hormuz after the US cancellation of new attacks
Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz while reinforcing its control over this strategic maritime route, after US President Donald Trump announced the indefinite suspension of attacks, with no signs of peace talks resuming.
The status of a ceasefire in place for two weeks, set to expire earlier this week, remained uncertain. In a sudden change of stance, hours after threatening to resume violence, Trump on Tuesday made what seemed like a unilateral announcement: the US would extend the ceasefire until discussing in peace talks an Iranian proposal to end the two-month-long war.