Iran continued its attacks on Israel and its Persian Gulf neighbors on Wednesday, as airstrikes hit Tehran and the US President Donald Trump again made contradictory statements about whether he was ready to end the war or escalate it.
Trump struck a bellicose tone Wednesday in a Truth Social post, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway vital to global oil supplies — or the US would bomb the Islamic Republic “into the Stone Age.” A day earlier, Trump said the US would have “nothing to do” with ensuring the safety of ships passing through Hormuz; this was a marked retreat from an earlier threat to attack Iran’s power grid if it did not open the strait by April 6.
Trump, who is scheduled to give a televised speech on Wednesday evening, said on Tuesday that he could walk away from the war for two to three weeks once he felt confident that Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon – even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.
But his latest post on “Social Truth” struck a harder line as more US troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive after weeks of airstrikes targeting Iran.
Trump also claimed on Wednesday that the “President of the New Regime of Iran” wanted a ceasefire. It was not clear who the US president was referring to as Iran still has the same president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.
Speaking to Al Jazeera earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to continue fighting. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We don’t set any deadlines to protect ourselves.”
There are no signs that Iran will relinquish its control over the Strait of Hormuz
Since the war began on February 28, Trump has offered shifting targets and repeatedly said it could end soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional US troops are currently on their way to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about the purpose of their deployment.
Just days ago, Trump threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub. And there has also been speculation about whether the US might decide to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium reserves — a complex and dangerous operation fraught with radiation and chemical hazards, according to experts and former government officials.
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Adding to the confusion is what role Israel — which has bombed Iran alongside the U.S. — might play in any of these scenarios.
Trump has been under increasing pressure to end the war as oil prices have skyrocketed, driving up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The spot price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has risen more than 40% since the war began, trading at more than $103 a barrel on Wednesday.
It is unclear where the diplomatic efforts stand
The US has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at bringing about a ceasefire, including demanding the reopening of the strait and the withdrawal of its nuclear programme.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by the English-language broadcaster of Iranian state television, an anonymous official was quoted as saying that Iran had its own demands for an end to the fighting, including maintaining sovereignty over the strait.
In the interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi admitted to receiving direct messages from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran does not believe that talks with the US can yield any results, saying “the confidence level is at zero”.
He warned against any US attempt to launch a ground offensive, saying “we are waiting for them”.
Iran hits a tanker off the coast of Qatar and attacks other Gulf states
A cruise missile crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense said. The crew was evacuated and no casualties were reported. A Kuwaiti oil tanker was attacked a day earlier near Dubai, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.
In the United Arab Emirates, one person was killed when he was hit by debris from an intercepted drone in Fujairah, one of the country’s seven emirates.
In Kuwait, state news agency KUNA said a drone struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a huge fire.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones fired by Iran in the past 24 hours. No casualties are reported. Two drones were also seized in Saudi Arabia.
In Israel, sirens sounded to warn of incoming rockets, and AP reporters heard loud booms in Tel Aviv as building windows shook from the echo. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
An airstrike in Tehran appeared to have hit the former US Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since American diplomats were held hostage there in 1979. Witnesses said windows were blown out of buildings outside the massive compound.
In Lebanon, at least five people were killed in an Israeli attack in a Beirut neighborhood.
Israel occupied southern Lebanon after the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets into northern Israel days after the war broke out. Many Lebanese fear another protracted military occupation.
More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million displaced, according to authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers also died there.
In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 are reported dead in Israel. More than two dozen people have died in the Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 US service members have been killed.
Increase reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
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