Israel and the United States joint military campaign against Iran
A coordinated offensive by Israel and the United States targets strategic military sites across Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in regional tensions.
Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Türkiye’s Transport Minister, announced that the Turkish-owned vessel Ocean Thunder safely exited the Strait of Hormuz, completing the departure of three ships waiting in the Gulf. Twelve Turkish vessels remain in the area, with eight requesting exit, and 156 personnel are being monitored for safety. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are preparing new operating rules for the strait, which has been largely closed since the war began on February 28. A draft proposal for a 45-day ceasefire and reopening of the strait was sent to Iran and the U.S. over the weekend. Regional hostilities continue with missile strikes targeting Israel and Abu Dhabi, and Iran reported airstrikes on residential and academic sites in Tehran.
The United States is continuing the deployment of thousands of Marines from San Diego to the Middle East, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday, even as a fragile ceasefire with Iran takes hold.
The ongoing troop movement underscores Washington’s cautious stance following a 38-day conflict, with senior military leaders emphasizing that U.S. forces remain prepared to resume combat operations if diplomatic efforts fail.
The United States on Wednesday said more than 30,000 targets were struck across Iran during its recent military campaign, as the White House pressed Tehran to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz following reports of its closure despite a ceasefire agreement.
Speaking during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described any disruption to the vital shipping lane as “completely unacceptable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel remains prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite a recently implemented ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
In a televised statement, Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s military campaign objectives have not yet been fully achieved and warned that further action remains possible.
A senior United States official said on Wednesday that a 10-point ceasefire plan circulated by Iran does not reflect the terms agreed upon with the White House, casting uncertainty over the fragile truce between the two sides.
“The document being reported by media outlets is not the working framework,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, on Wednesday called on all parties to uphold a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States, warning that reported violations risk undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday welcomed a newly announced ceasefire between Iran and the United States, emphasizing national unity in a message posted on the social media platform X.
“We will remain united and stand together—whether in diplomacy, on the defense front, or in the streets,” Pezeshkian said, signaling a continued commitment to cohesion across all sectors of Iranian society.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has raised concerns over alleged Israeli ceasefire violations during a phone call with Pakistan’s army chief, according to an official statement from Iran’s foreign ministry.
Araghchi discussed what he described as “violations of the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon” by Israel in his conversation with Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose country played a key mediating role in brokering the fragile truce between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian forces on Wednesday shot down an Israeli-made Hermes 900 drone over the southern town of Lar, according to state television, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The statement, carried by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), said the advanced unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted and destroyed by the IRGC’s aerospace defense systems over Lar in Fars Province.
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday it has “no trust” in promises from the United States, despite a newly agreed two-week ceasefire aimed at halting weeks of conflict.
Kuwait on Wednesday urged Iran and its allied groups to immediately halt hostilities after reporting a wave of missile and drone attacks just hours into a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, underscoring the volatility of the region despite the truce.
In a statement, the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the ceasefire agreement but stressed “the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies to immediately cease all hostilities,” following strikes targeting Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian state media, including Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, reported that the attacks came in response to earlier airstrikes on oil facilities on Lavan Island. According to officials, the Lavan Oil Refinery was hit in what was described as a “cowardly attack” despite the ceasefire announced early Wednesday.
