Iran

Politico - The Pakistani leader at the center of U.S.-Iran peace talks denounced “violations” that threaten to derail the new ceasefire, as the White House downplayed reports Wednesday that Tehran is again closing the Strait of Hormuz.

“Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on X Wednesday. “I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

His message came after Iranian strikes targeted Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the hours after President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire, and as Israel continues to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday.

Iranian state media reported later Wednesday that Tehran will soon close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global transit of oil, in response to Israel’s Lebanon strikes.

The developments underscore the fragility of the temporary peace agreement Trump announced on Tuesday, as Iran insists Lebanon be included in the framework and both the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argue it remains fair game for Israel Defense Forces attacks.

New Republic - Recent reporting from the Financial Times reveals it was President Trump, not the Iranian government, who was begging for a ceasefire.

FT reports that the Trump administration had been privately pushing for a ceasefire for weeks to alleviate the economic strain caused by Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, and depending on Pakistan for mediation. Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir was communicating with Iranian officials, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, and Trump himself even after the president threatened to wipe out Iranian civilization on Tuesday.

According to the five people familiar with the diplomatic back channel, Trump had been asking for a ceasefire since as early as March 21, when he first threatened to bomb Iran’s power plants.

The Guardian - The fate of the two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict looked in peril as both sides gave divergent versions of what had been agreed, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran halted the passage of oil tankers because of an alleged Israeli ceasefire breach.

Iran and Pakistan, which brokered the 11th-hour truce, both asserted that the ceasefire included Lebanon.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, disagreed and Israeli forces unleashed their heaviest attack of the war so far on more than 100 targets, killing at least 254 people. Donald Trump, after initially remaining silent, said Lebanon was “a separate skirmish” and not part of the deal.

The UN rights chief Volker Türk condemned the scale of Israel’s attacks yesterday as “horrific”.