Diplomatic efforts with the United States cannot advance under repeated cease-fire violations, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday, following overnight clashes in the Gulf between Tehran and Washington.
Baghaei accused Washington of undermining diplomacy through contradictory messages, shifting positions and repeated ceasefire violations, and said Israel was also damaging the process through repeated ceasefire breaches in Lebanon.
"Following overnight events, we need to re-assess (the diplomatic path with Washington) ... any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference in December.Credit: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference in December.Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in the upcoming election and "will win, God willing," the Likud party said in a statement Wednesday.
The statement followed comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to ABC News, in which he said it was unclear whether Netanyahu "even wants to continue" in his role as prime minister.
"I don't know, he's had an amazing career," Trump said, speaking to ABC News' chief Washington correspondent. "Does he want to continue? Because, you know, he's a wartime prime minister."
An explosion was heard in the vicinity of the city of Qeshm, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported, citing local sources.
According to the report, the exact nature of the sound is unknown, and the source of the explosion could have been distant or related to movements in the Strait of Hormuz.
Qeshm Island is located in the Strait of Hormuz and is separated from the Iranian mainland by the Clarence Strait.
Israeli forces continued striking southern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting the Tyre area and other locations, according to the Israeli military.
A couple sit on a public beach as smoke, background, rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit Qlaileh village, as it seen from the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, in June.Credit: Mohammed Zaatari/AP A couple sit on a public beach as smoke, background, rises from an Israeli airstrike that hit Qlaileh village, as it seen from the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, in June.Credit: Mohammed Zaatari/AP
The military said it struck six sites in the city of Tyre that it alleged were used by Hezbollah to launch attacks on Israel. It did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Later, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for residents of one village in Nabatieh governorate and another in South governorate, instructing them to remain at least 1,000 meters (about 0.6 miles) from their homes.
In a separate warning for residents of a village in the Sidon district, the military ordered people to move north of the Zaharani River.
Local media reported that an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the village of Ad-Doueir, north of the Litani River.
Overnight into Wednesday, Israeli strikes reportedly targeted locations in the Tyre, Nabatieh and Sidon districts.
According to local reports, one strike landed about 30 meters (98 feet) from a school in the village of Bnaafoul, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Sidon. Local media said the school was serving as a shelter for displaced residents.
Artillery strikes were also reported in the Beqaa governorate.
A cargo vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed people about 88 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Balhaf on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
There was an exchange of fire between the small craft and the vessel's armed security team, and the craft then turned away, UKMTO added.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff used his communication channel with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to relay de-escalatory messages to Tehran overnight into Monday following Israel's strike near Beirut, The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing two U.S. officials.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff at a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad in April.Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AFPU.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff at a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad in April.Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AFP
According to the report, Witkoff urged Iran to avoid further escalation after its missile attacks on Israel, a move that the newspaper said contributed to Iran's announcement Monday that it would halt attacks on Israel.
The report said U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that Israel and Iran would cease exchanging fire followed Witkoff's earlier diplomatic efforts.
Jordanian armed forces said on Wednesday they intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran toward al-Azraq area in Jordan.
The military added that debris from the interception operation fell on Jordanian territory but caused no injuries or material damage.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that they had targeted four sites at the U.S. al-Azraq base in Jordan using long-range missiles.
