LIVE | Trump says US and Iran could hold new talks in next three days

Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, one of the most influential figures in the Islamic Republic, said Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened as long as the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports continues.


"A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime blockade (...), the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is impossible as long as the cease-fire is being openly violated," the Iranian politician wrote on X.

"They did not achieve their goals through military aggression, nor will they through bullying," he added.

President Trump said Wednesday that, following a request from him, Iranian authorities had suspended the execution of eight protesters.

The president said that, of the eight women, four would be released immediately, while the other four must serve a month in prison. "Very good news," the president celebrated on Truth Social, adding, "I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request."

Iran has repeatedly carried out executions of opponents and political detainees as part of a state crackdown following mass protests this year.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it "appreciates" the efforts of Pakistan as a mediator to end the conflict with the U.S., state-sponsored media reported.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei responded to questions from the press about Pakistan's request to extend the ceasefire after President Trump announced the extension of the truce late Wednesday night, just hours before it was due to end.

The spokesman only stated that Iran has taken all necessary measures to ensure "the security" of the country.

A second round of talks between the United States and Iran could take place in the next three days, The New York Post reported Wednesday, citing unnamed Pakistani sources and President Donald Trump.

"It's possible!" Trump responded to The New York Post, reportedly by text message, when asked about sources in Pakistan claiming that a new round of dialogue was expected in Islamabad within the next "36 to 72 hours."

Pakistan acted as an intermediary in the first set of talks. Pakistani Chief of Defense Forces Marshal Asim Munir traveled to Iran as part of those efforts.

Trump extended a two-week ceasefire in the conflict on Tuesday just before it was due to expire.

A Pakistani digital media outlet, News Post, mentioned the three-day deadline to resume talks, though without citing sources or providing additional information, according to AFP.

The New York Stock Exchange opened higher on Wednesday. In early trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.25%, the Nasdaq gained 0.71%, and the S&P 500 advanced 0.55%.

A French soldier serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) died on Wednesday after succumbing to injuries sustained during an ambush carried out by members of the terrorist group Hezbollah.
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​The death of First Corporal Anicet Girardin was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who reported that the body has already been repatriated.

The Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's ideological army, claimed Wednesday that its naval forces intercepted two ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and led them into the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval force identified and detained two offending ships in the Strait of Hormuz this morning," the ideological army said in a statement.

"The two offending vessels ... were seized by the IRGC and directed to the Iranian coast," it added.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance will not travel to Pakistan, where negotiations with Iran were initially planned, the White House announced.

Tehran had already made known its intention not to send a delegation to the second round of dialogue.

China assured Wednesday that it sets an example in terms of respecting its international obligations, in response to statements by Donald Trump, who hinted that Beijing may have helped Iran reconstitute its weaponry.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun noted that "as a responsible great power, China has always set an example by fulfilling its international obligations."

China is a strategic trading partner of Iran, as more than 80% of Iranian oil exports were destined for China before the war, according to analyst firm Kpler.

Iranian Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri said the naval blockade the country has been subjected to by the United States has had minimal impact on its ability to supply commodities and food.

"Despite the U.S. naval blockade, we have no problem supplying basic commodities and food because, due to the size of the country, it is possible to import from different borders," the official said Tuesday.

"About 85% of agricultural and staple products are produced in the country, so national food security is guaranteed," he added, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday urged the Lebanese government to collaborate with Israel to confront the pro-Iranian Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah, ahead of the resumption of talks between the two countries in Washington.

"Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume tomorrow in Washington D.C. I appeal to the government of Lebanon: Let us work together against the terrorist state that Hezbollah has built on your territory," Saar said in a speech to diplomats during an event commemorating the 78th anniversary of Israel's independence.

"This cooperation is necessary for you even more than for us. It requires moral clarity and the courage to take risks. But there is no real alternative to guarantee a future of peace for you and for us," he added.

UKMTO reported a second incident in the Strait of Hormuz within hours. This time, the casualty was a cargo ship leaving the sea passage. The vessel, located about 14 kilometers off the Iranian coast "reported having received gunfire and is currently immobilized at sea," the agency reported.

This ship was identified by Vanguard Tech as the container ship Euphoria, with Panamanian flag. According to the Marinetraffic site, it was headed for the Saudi port of Jeddah, coming from Jebel Ali, in the United Arab Emirates.

A container ship was attacked by an Iranian patrol boat on Wednesday off the coast of Oman, which caused damage but left no casualties, British maritime safety agency UKMTO reported.

The cargo ship, which was 15 nautical miles (about 28 kilometers) off Oman, "was boarded by a Revolutionary Guards Corps gunboat, without prior radio warning, which subsequently opened fire on the vessel causing significant damage to the wheelhouse," the UKMTO reported.

The agency added that "no fires or environmental impacts have been reported" and that the crew is "safe and sound.” According to intelligence firm Vanguard Tech, it is a Liberian-flagged vessel, "which had been reported to have permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz."

For its part, Iran's Tasnim news agency stated that the ship had "ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces."

Iran executed by hanging Wednesday a man convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, in the latest wave of executions amid the war against Israel and the United States.

"Mehdi Farid (....) was hanged this morning for his extensive cooperation with the Mosad terrorist espionage service, after the case was examined and the final verdict approved," the judiciary's Mizan Web site stated.

It was not initially clear when Farid was arrested or when he was tried, but the court found him guilty of "intelligence cooperation and spying for the Zionist regime."