Iran continues to control Hormu despite the ceasefire . Iran’s Foreign Minister has declared that vessels seeking to transit the Strait must coordinate directly with Iranian armed forces, subject to unspecified “technical limitations”
SUMMARY
- Iran is accusing Israel of violating the conditional ceasefire announced by President Trump by continuing its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian media outlets say Tehran is suspending tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and considering pulling out of the deal with Washington over Israel’s actions.
- There were new attacks on America’s Gulf allies early Wednesday after the ceasefire announcement, and then reports of explosions on two Iranian islands in the Gulf.
- Energy and stock markets embraced the ceasefire news, with oil still trading well above pre-war levels but dropping below $100 a barrel. Stock markets in Asia and Europe soared and U.S. futures were up significantly.
In-person talks- President Trump told the New York Post that in-person talks with Iranian officials would begin “very soon,” although he did not specify a date. He also said the attendance of U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, was a security matter. “We’ll have Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, JD — maybe JD, I don’t know,” Mr. Trump told the New York Post over the phone. “There’s a question of safety, security.”Pakistan brokered the ceasefire agreement announced on Tuesday and has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks.
Lebanon says no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf
The office of Lebanon’s president condemned what it called “barbaric attacks” by Israel on Wednesday. “Today, Israel is once again escalating its aggression, committing a new massacre that adds to its dark record, in blatant defiance of all humanitarian values and disregarding every effort toward calm and stability,” the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement.
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. as a step toward deescalation and regional stability earlier Wednesday, but stressed that no party has the right to negotiate on the country’s behalf.
“Lebanon unequivocally affirms that it speaks with one voice — its own — and that no party has the right to negotiate on its behalf except the Lebanese state,” the ministry said in a statement, “Any such action constitutes a direct violation of its sovereignty and national decision-making,
Trump and White House press secretary say Israel’s war in Lebanon not part of ceasefire deal with Iran
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid on Wednesday that Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire agreement announced by President Trump on Tuesday, according to Ravid.
CBS
