Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors on Wednesday as airstrikes pounded Tehran and U.S. President Donald Trump again made contradictory statements about whether he was able to wind down the war or escalate it.
Trump struck a belligerent tone Wednesday in a Truth Social post, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway vital to global oil supplies — or the U.S. would bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages.” A day earlier, Trump said the U.S. “won’t have anything to do with” ensuring the safety of ships passing through Hormuz; that was an apparent backtrack from a previous threat to attack Iran’s power grid if it didn’t open the strait by April 6.
Trump, who’s scheduled to provide a televised address Wednesday evening, said Tuesday he could walk away from the war in two to a few weeks once he felt confident Iran wouldn’t have the option to construct a nuclear weapon — even when Tehran doesn’t comply with a ceasefire.
But his latest Truth Social post struck a harder line as more American troops move into the region for a possible ground offensive after weeks of airstrikes targeting Iran.
Trump also claimed Wednesday that “Iran’s Recent Regime President” wanted a ceasefire. It wasn’t clear to whom the U.S. president was referring since Iran still has the identical president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” based on a report on Iranian state television.
Speaking earlier to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to maintain fighting. “You can’t speak to the people of Iran within the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We don’t set any deadline for defending ourselves.”
No signs of Iran relinquishing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz
Because the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it may very well be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Hundreds of additional U.S. troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds in regards to 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 U.S. could resolve to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile — a posh and dangerous operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, based on experts and former government officials.
Get each day National news
Get each day Canada news delivered to your inbox so you may never miss the day’s top stories.
Adding to the confusion is what role Israel – which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S. — might play in any of those scenarios.
Trump has been under growing pressure to finish the war as oil prices have skyrocketed, pushing up the fee of gasoline, food and other goods. The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was up greater than 40% for the reason that start of the war, trading at greater than $103 a barrel on Wednesday.
It’s unclear where diplomatic efforts stand
The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed toward bringing a couple of ceasefire, including a requirement for the strait to be reopened and for its nuclear program to be rolled back.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by Iranian state TV’s English-language broadcaster, an anonymous official was quoted as saying Iran had its own demands to finish the fighting, including retaining sovereignty over the strait.
Within the interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, nevertheless, that there have been no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”
He warned against any U.S. try and launch a ground offensive, saying “we’re waiting for them.”
Iran hits tanker off Qatar’s coast and attacks other Gulf states
A cruise missile slammed into an oil tanker off Qatar’s coast Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. The crew was evacuated and no casualties were reported. A Kuwaiti oil tanker got here under attack off Dubai the day before, one among greater than 20 ships attacked by Iran in the course of the war.
Within the United Arab Emirates, an individual was killed when he was hit by debris from an intercepted drone in Fujairah, one among the country’s seven emirates.
In Kuwait, the state-run KUNA news agency said a drone hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a big fire.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones fired from Iran within the last 24 hours. No casualties were reported. Two drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia.
In Israel, sirens sounded to warn of incoming missiles and AP reporters heard loud booms in Tel Aviv because the windows of buildings shook from the reverberations. There have been no immediate reports of harm or casualties.
An airstrike on Tehran appeared to have hit the previous U.S. Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since American diplomats were held hostage there in 1979. Witnesses said buildings outside the huge compound had their windows blown out.
In Lebanon, no less than five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut neighborhood.
Israel invaded southern Lebanon after the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group began launching missiles into northern Israel days after the outbreak of the war. Many Lebanese fear one other prolonged military occupation.
Greater than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and greater than 1 million displaced, based on authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.
In Iran, authorities say greater than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. Greater than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, while 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
© 2026 The Canadian Press