Trump weighs punishing NATO countries over lack of Iran war support – WSJ

US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Iranians are promising to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance added that he wants to be involved in negotiations with Iran because he thinks he can help.

The attack on Lavan Island was carried out by Mirage fighter jets used by the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency reported.

Earlier, Axios reported, citing a US defense official, that the strike on the Iranian refinery in Lavan was not conducted by the United States or Israel.

Qatar’s foreign minister spoke by phone with his Saudi counterpart to discuss regional developments following the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Doha welcomed the truce and stressed “the necessity of building on it urgently to prevent the expansion of the scope of tension in the region,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a post on X.

The ministry said the Qatari minister also emphasized the importance of “ensuring the security of maritime passages and the freedom of navigation” in order to preserve regional stability and global supply chains.

“We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger is on the trigger,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

He said the pause in fighting does not mark the end of Israel’s campaign against Iran.

“This is preparation on the way to achieving all of our objectives. Iran is entering these negotiations beaten, weaker than ever,” he said.

He added that the ceasefire came into effect “in full coordination with Israel” and said it does not include operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We are continuing to strike forcefully. Hezbollah suffered the most severe strike today since the beeper operation,” he said.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said several key clauses of Tehran’s proposed framework for negotiations with the United States have already been violated, casting doubt on the basis for talks expected to begin in Pakistan.

In a statement published on X, Ghalibaf said three provisions of Iran’s 10-point proposal had been breached even before negotiations began.

He cited continued attacks in Lebanon despite what he said was a commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the entry of a drone into Iranian airspace that was later destroyed in the southern city of Lar, and what he described as the denial of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment.

“The very workable basis on which to negotiate has been openly and clearly violated, even before the negotiations began,” Ghalibaf wrote.

He added that under such circumstances “a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable.”