Main points
- Iran’s chief negotiator says reopening the Strait of Hormuz “is impossible” due to “flagrant breaches” of the existing ceasefire
- US president Donald Trump reportedly told the New York Post that “it’s possible” further talks with Iran could take place in the coming days
- A second French peacekeeper has died following an attack in Lebanon on Saturday
- At least three container ships have been hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran said it had seized two vessels
- The oil price crisis could last months or years even if there is peace, the EU’s energy commissioner has warned
Key reads
- Trump’s ‘one-man WhatsApp group’ diplomacy derailing Iran peace talks
- FBI director Kash Patel defends his behaviour after sensational magazine reporting
- Analysis: Why the Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s strongest card in negotiations
That concludes Wednesday’s live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
You can get a recap of the day’s events in this piece from Mark Weiss in Jerusalem.
Stick with us on Thursday for more news and analysis on irishtimes.com.
In remarks to reporters outside the White House, Leavitt also dismissed mocking statements from Iranian state media claiming that Trump had unilaterally announced an extension of the ceasefire without Iran asking for one.
“What they say publicly is much different than what they concede to the United States and our negotiating team privately,” adding that “you should take our word for it.”
She also said that Trump had decided to extend the truce because “there’s a lot of internal fraction and internal division” in Iran’s leadership, and the United States was “offering a little bit of flexibility” in order to see a unified response to its proposals. – The New York Times
Trump wants ‘unified’ response to ceasefire proposals
US president Donald Trump wants to see a “unified” response from Iran’s leadership to US proposals to end hostilities, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
Leavitt told reporters that Trump had not set a deadline for an end to the ceasefire extension he announced on Tuesday.
Earlier, Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum that Iran must agree to turn over its enriched uranium to the United States as part of negotiations to end the war.
“Thanks to the success of the military operation and [Trump’s] hardline negotiating style, we’re on the brink of a deal,” Leavitt said.
“And if not, the president, as commander in chief, still has a number of options at his disposal that he’s unafraid to use.” – Reuters
Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes killed at least four people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Hizbullah launched, according to the report, a drone attack against Israeli forces in the region, which further jeopardises the US-brokered ceasefire.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said on Wednesday that an Israeli strike hit a car in Tayri, a village in south Lebanon, killing two people inside.
An Israeli air strike in the southern town of Yohmor killed another two people, NNA and Lebanon’s health ministry said. – The Guardian
Reporters Without Borders call for international pressure on Israel for rescue of Journalist
In a statement on X, Reporters Without Borders said journalist Amal Khalil is trapped near Tayri, a town in southern Lebanon. Khalil is a reporter for the Al Akhbar newspaper.
“Her life is in danger right now! Continued Israeli airstrikes are preventing rescuers from reaching her,” the group said.
‘Blockade and threats’ are main negotiation obstacles, says Iranian president
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a new statement in a post on X.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has welcomed dialogue and agreement and continues to do so. Breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations. World sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions,” he said.
Israeli drone dropped grenade on rescuers assisting wounded journalist
An Israeli drone dropped a grenade on rescuers trying to lift a wounded journalist from rubble in Tayri, in southern Lebanon, a senior Lebanese military official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The official said the Lebanese army asked the Israeli military through a US-led mechanism to allow rescuers to retrieve the wounded journalist. – Reuters
Reopening Strait of Hormuz ‘impossible’ due to ceasefire breaches, says Iranian chief negotiator
Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said a complete ceasefire only makes sense if the US naval blockades on the country’s ports and “the hostage-taking of the world’s economy” end.
In a post on X, he said: “A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime blockade and the hostage-taking of the world’s economy, and if the Zionist warmongering across all fronts is halted.”
He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz “is impossible” due to “flagrant breaches” of the existing truce.
Some of today’s photographs from across Iran and Lebanon
Unifil begins investigation into French peacekeeper deaths
Unifil has said it has begun an investigation into the incident in which a French peacekeeper was killed on Saturday and a second who later died in a Parisian hospital.
Anicet Girardin (31) was seriously wounded when his explosive ordnance disposal team came under attack while clearing a road in Ghanduriyah, southern Lebanon.
He was repatriated to France for treatment and died in a Paris hospital on Wednesday morning.
“We once again remind all actors of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times,” the statement said.
“Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes.”
French Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio (39) was killed in the same attack on April 18th. A third peacekeeper who was seriously injured was also returned to France for ongoing medical treatment while a fourth who sustained minor injuries was treated and subsequently returned to their base in Dayr Kifa.
Attack of Greek ship in Strait of Hormuz confirmed by foreign minister
Greece’s foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has confirmed that a Greek-owned cargo ship has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I can confirm that there was an attack against the Greek cargo ship, but I cannot confirm that this has been seized by the Iranians,” Gerapetritis told CNN.
He said “all seafarers are in good in their health” and the vessel was widely damaged.
“It was a Liberian flagged and Greek-owned ship, it was trying to get out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Gerapetritis said, describing the situation as “quite disturbing”.
US president Donald Trump has not set a timeline for the extension of a ceasefire with Iran, a source briefed on the matter said on Wednesday. – Reuters
NI consumers could face ‘tsunami’ of high energy prices if Iran warn drags on
Northern Editor Freya McClements reports: Consumers in Northern Ireland are facing a “very difficult” winter with a “tsunami” of high energy prices coming if the Middle East crisis is not resolved within weeks, MPs have been warned.
David Blevings, executive director of the Northern Ireland Oil Federation, told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday that the recent rise in oil prices following the US-Israeli attack on Iran had a “devastating effect” on the industry and created a “fear factor” for consumers.
“If the strait [of Hormuz] remains closed, I do worry about the future for this winter,” he said.
“If it [the war] is resolved quickly, in the next couple of weeks we could see a return to relative normality by quarter four of 2026, but if we have a prolonged infraction in Iran this winter in particular looks very, very difficult.”
Read the piece in full.
Wednesday afternoon recap
Trump says further US-Iran talks could be held in next three days
A second round of US-Iran talks could take place within the next three days, the New York Post reported Wednesday, citing unnamed Pakistani sources and US president Donald Trump.
“It’s possible!” Trump reportedly told the Post by text message, when asked about sources in Pakistan – which mediated the first round of talks – saying that a second round was “expected in Islamabad within the next 36 to 72 hours”.
Trump on Tuesday extended a two-week truce in the war just as it was about to expire. A digital news outlet in Pakistan, News Post, reported the three-day time frame for more talks without a source or further details. – The Guardian
Unifil French peacekeeper previously wounded in attack dies
One of the three French peacekeepers wounded in an attack in Lebanon last week has died in France, French president Emmanuel Macron has said.
One peacekeeper was killed and three others, including Anicet Girardin, were wounded after a suspected “deliberate attack” while they were clearing a road
Unifil peacekeepers and French officials said on Saturday the attack was likely carried out by Iran-backed Hizbullah.
Girardin was repatriated from Lebanon on Tuesday but died from his injuries on Wednesday morning, Macron said.
Two people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in south Lebanon, state media is reporting. – Reuters
Tui cuts profit outlook as Iran war makes holidaymakers cautious
Europe’s largest travel operator Tui has cut its profit outlook and suspended its revenue guidance, warning that a “volatile geopolitical backdrop” is fuelling consumer caution.
The Frankfurt-listed company, which runs cruises, flights and package holidays, said it expected full-year underlying operating profit for the year to September to be in the range of €1.1 billion to €1.4 billion, down from a previous expectation of about €1.5 billion to €1.6 billion.
Tui said that airline and hotel bookings for the summer were 7 per cent below the same period in 2025, as it warned that wary customers were increasingly booking at the last minute.
Travellers were also favouring western Europe, as the war in Iran weighed on demand for destinations well beyond the immediate conflict zone, in Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt.
Read more here.
Military planners to discuss Strait of Hormuz reopening in London
Military planners from more than 30 countries will hold two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and draw up detailed plans.
More than a dozen countries said last week they were willing to join an international mission, led by Britain and France, to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit.
The commitment came after some 50 countries from Europe, Asia and the Middle East joined a video conference aimed at sending a signal to Washington after US president Donald Trump said he did not need allies’ help.
Britain’s ministry of defence said in a statement the meeting on Wednesday would build on progress made at last week’s talks.
“The task, today and tomorrow, is to translate the diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the strait and support a lasting ceasefire,” said UK defence minister John Healey.
“I am confident that, over the next two days, real progress can be made.”
Britain said the talks would advance military plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow, following a sustainable ceasefire.
Participants are expected to discuss military capabilities, command and control arrangements, and how forces could deploy to the region. – Reuters
US must end its blockade on Iran before any further ceasefire talks, says Iranian diplomat
The US must end its blockade on Iran as a prerequisite for any further ceasefire talks in Islamabad, an Iranian diplomat has said.
Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, the head of the Iranian mission in Egypt, told the Associated Press that communications with Pakistani mediators are under way “to implement Iran’s conditions.”
“We won’t negotiate under threat,” he said. “We won’t go to Islamabad before the lifting of the blockade.”
He accused the US of using the ceasefire to build up more forces for a possible resumption of military action against the Islamic Republic.
“Behind the scenes, they say something, but in public, they say and do something else,” he said.
Iran dissidents criticise European ‘silence’ after latest execution
An Iranian opposition leader has criticised European countries for doing too little to halt executions in Iran, after Tehran carried out another execution in what opponents say is a wartime crackdown on dissent.
The judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported on Wednesday that a man convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence service and passing sensitive information had been executed.
“The silence of European Union leaders and member states in the face of this wave of political executions in Iran is unjustifiable,” Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political arm of People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), said in a speech at the European Parliament.
“Such silence not only emboldens the regime to continue executions, but also signals weakness, encouraging it to persist in nuclear weapons development and terrorist meddling in the region.”
Rajavi said some 16 political prisoners had been executed in a month, including eight from the PMOI.
Amnesty International said earlier this month that it was “unconscionable that even as the population is reeling from conflict and mass bereavement amid the ongoing aerial bombardment by Israel and the USA, the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to weaponise the death penalty to eradicate dissenting voices and further terrify people.”
Lebanon will request a one-month truce extension when Lebanese and Israeli envoys meet in Washington tomorrow, an official has told AFP.
The 10-day ceasefire is set to expire on Sunday.
Reuters also reported a Lebanese official saying tomorrow’s talks will explore a date for expanded negotiations, in which Lebanon would push for a withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of Lebanese detainees being held in Israel and a delineation of the land border. – The Guardian
Iran war dominates Government trade forum
The Government has held a trade forum amid economic disruption caused by the US and Israeli war on Iran and recent fuel blockades in Ireland.
The 12th meeting of the Government’s Trade Forum, chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee, focused on the economic impacts of the situation in the Gulf region, EU-US relations and the impact of recent blockades.
There was a “strong emphasis” from the Government that they would only engage with established representative groups and that the trade forum would be a central part of this.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers gave an update on plans to speed up infrastructure delivery, while Tánaiste Simon Harris gave an update on the spring economic forecast which said inflation remains a concern.
Speaking in advance of the forum, McEntee said it was important to get feedback from those representing small and medium enterprises as well as workers during the “challenging, difficult landscape that we’re living in”.
Chambers said there had been “really strong progress across infrastructure delivery” and said there was “momentum” in the infrastructure cycle.
Speaking about a levy on departments to pay for overspends in other departments, he said it was “really important that we moderate overall current expenditure”.
“If we were to continue doing what’s been happening over the last number of years, expenditure growth would continue to exceed what we budgeted for, and that’s why there has to be burden sharing across government when a new priority emerges or a new pressure emerges,” he said.
Vessels attacked by Iran named
The three vessels attacked by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy have been named.
The Epaminondas, a container ship owned by a Greek company, was fired upon by an IRGC gun boat 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge.
The Panama-flagged Euphoria which is owned by a UAE-based company, also came under attack eight nautical miles west of Iran, according to Vanguard and the UKMTO. The crew are said to be safe and no damage is reported to the vessel
The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca was targeted about six nautical miles off the coast of Iran while it was heading south out of the Strait and into the Gulf of Oman, maritime intelligence firm Vanguard told BBC Verify.
The ship has reported “damage to the hull and accommodation”
Oil price crisis could last months or years, EU’s energy commissioner warns
The oil price crisis could last months or years even if there is peace, the EU’s energy commissioner has warned.
Speaking at a briefing unveiling emergency measures to deal with the crisis caused by the Iran war, Dan Jorgensen said if a peace deal is struck in the coming weeks between Iran and the US, the effects could last for months and perhaps years.
“We are looking into some very difficult months, or maybe even years depending on the development in the Middle East,” he said.
“Take Qatar. It may take two years to rebuild its gas and transportation structure. It means that the world market for LNG prices will not stabilise or even fall as was expected in the next couple of years. Even a best-case scenario is a pretty bad scenario for the months to come.”
He noted that the aviation sector could face the prospect of a jet fuel shortage in the next five or six weeks.
The EU imports 30 to 40 per cent of its jet fuel needs, with about half coming from the Middle East.
Jorgensen said they had developed new tools in Brussels to ensure an “overview of refining capacity and stock in our different member states”.
“But obviously we have to be quite honest and say that whether or not we will be a security of supply crisis is primarily a result of what goes on in the Middle East,” he said. – The Guardian
Iran seizes two vessels for maritime violations, Tasnim reports
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy seized two vessels for what it described as maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian shores, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.
In a statement, the guards said the ships, which they identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminodes, were detained for “operating without the required authorisation and for manipulating navigation systems”, adding that this endangered maritime safety. – Reuters
EU to relax state aid rules to allow member states to help consumers
The EU is to waive its state aid rules to allow member states to step in and help consumers weather the current cost of living crisis caused by the Iran war.
It will allow governments to issue energy vouchers and temporarily allow the reduction of excise duties for vulnerable households.
It will also allow emergency measures at state level to help industries facing existential threats because of the huge spike in the price of oil.
Other measures are aimed at accelerating green infrastructure for both consumers and industry. They include enhancement of the bloc-wide grid with a legislative proposal on charges and taxes that are favourable to wind farms and renewable plants including hydropower.
It will also facilitate collaboration between the private and public sector at a clean energy investment summit to speed up renewable energy production.
“In the current crisis, speed and impact are paramount,” the European Commission said in a statement.
“This must be a wake-up call and a turning point,” said EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
“When Europe steps away from fossil fuel dependence and steps toward clean energy autonomy. Because now it is more obvious than ever. Clean energy means security. It means affordability. It means independence.” – The Guardian
EU publishes measures to address impact of Iran war on energy market
The European Commission has proposed a series of measures to address the impact on the region’s energy markets from the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The Commission said the measures, announced in a package called “AccelerateEU”, included optimising the distribution of jet fuel between EU countries in order to avoid shortages.
“The choices we make today will shape our ability to face the challenges of today and the crises of tomorrow. Our AccelerateEU strategy will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“We must accelerate the shift to home-grown, clean energies. This will give us energy independence and security, and mean we are better able to weather geopolitical storms,” she added. – Reuters
The Israel Defense Forces says it has killed “two terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings” in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, has urged Lebanon to make joint efforts with his country to counter Hizbullah, AFP reports.
Speaking in advance of talks between the countries that are set to resume in Washington, Sa’ar said:
“Tomorrow the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington DC. I call on the government of Lebanon – let’s work together against the terror state that Hizbullah built in your territory.
“This co-operation is needed by you even more than by us. It requires moral clarity and the courage to take risks. But there is no real alternative for ensuring a future of peace for you and for us.” – The Guardian
Three vessels hit by gunfire in Strait of Hormuz
At least three container ships have been hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the US-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a US blockade of Iranian ports.
A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.
The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat. The vessel, it said, was subsequently fired upon. All crew members were safe and there was no fire or environmental impact due to the incident.
Maritime security sources said that three people were on-board that gunboat.
The master of the Greek-operated container ship also reported that no radio contact was made before the incident and the vessel had been initially informed that it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The UKMTO later said a second container vessel had been fired upon about eight nautical miles west of Iran. The Panama-flagged vessel was not damaged and its crew members are safe.
Maritime security sources said a third container ship was fired upon about eight nautical miles west of Iran while transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz. The Liberia-flagged vessel, which was not damaged, had stopped in the water. Its crew are safe, the sources said. – Reuters
Two million people in Iran lost their jobs because of war, says Iranian minister
More than two million people have lost their jobs in Iran as a result of the war, according to an Iranian minister, pushing a fragile economy already battered by sanctions and an internet blackout deeper into crisis.
The war has inflicted severe damage on Iran’s critical infrastructure, including its oil and gas facilities, petrochemical industries, steel plants and aluminium factories.
Internet disruptions during the January protests, and the blackout since the start of the war on February 28th, have also paralysed the digital economy.
Widespread redundancies have followed, with Hadi Kahalzadeh, a former economist at Iran’s Social Security Organisation, estimating 10 to 12 million jobs, roughly 50 per cent of Iran’s workforce, are at risk.
Earlier this week, Gholamhossein Mohammadi, an Iranian deputy labour minister and head of Iran’s technical and vocational training organisation, said initial estimates showed the war has led to the loss of more than one million jobs and direct and indirect unemployment of two million people, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
He said the Iranian government has launched initiatives to train and recruit people for the reconstruction of damaged homes and industries.
He was quoted as saying: “Our approach this year has shifted from quantity to quality, with a focus on the training required for reconstruction, renewable energy and the digital economy.” – The Guardian
Israeli military says it is unaware of strike in Lebanon after report of deadly drone attack
The Israeli military said it was unaware of a strike in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Wednesday after Lebanon’s state news agency reported an Israeli drone had killed one person and wounded two others in the area.
The state-run National News Agency said the incident had taken place in Lebanon’s western Bekaa Valley. – Reuters
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident eight nautical miles west of Iran.
A cargo ship has reported being fired upon and is now stopped in the water.
Container ship off coast of Oman ‘ignored warnings’ before attack, Iranian media claims
Iranian media has reported the container ship that was fired at by an IRGC gunboat off the coast of Oman had “ignored warnings from the Iranian armed forces”.
As reported earlier, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of a container ship coming under fire near the Strait of Hormuz by an IRGC gunboat, causing damage to the vessel but no casualties.
The incident happened 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, UKMTO said, adding that the captain of the tanker reported the gunboat opened fire without issuing a radio challenge.
But Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the vessel “ignored warnings from the Iranian armed forces [and] was fired upon ... causing serious damage to the ship”. – The Guardian
Condom prices could rise 30% due to Iran war, says world’s top producer
The world’s top condom producer plans to raise prices by 20-30 per cent and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said.
Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, chief executive Goh Miah Kiat said in an interview.
“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive ... We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers,” Goh said.
Karex produces more than five billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands such as Durex and Trojan, as well as state health systems such as Britain’s NHS and global aid programmes run by the United Nations.
The condom-maker joins a growing list of companies, including medical glove makers, bracing for supply chain bottlenecks as the Iran war strains energy and petrochemical flows from the Middle East, disrupting procurement of raw materials.
Read more here.
The head of the UN maritime agency has appealed for help for thousands of seafarers stranded in the Gulf by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
About 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships have been stranded since US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28th, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The agency said at least 10 seafarers have been killed and several more severely injured in attacks on commercial vessels since the start of the war.
The IMO’s secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez, said the agency was working on an evacuation plan for the stranded ships but that it could only be put into action when there were clear signs of de-escalation. – The Guardian
Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel, Mizan reports
Iran executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence service and passing sensitive information, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported on Wednesday.
Mizan identified the man as Mehdi Farid, saying he had held a position in a civil defence unit within a sensitive organisation and had used his access to gather and transmit information to Israel’s Mossad.
His death sentence was upheld by Iran’s supreme court and carried out after legal procedures were completed, Mizan said. – Reuters
Iran fires on container ship in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has opened fire on and damaged a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialise.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said the attack happened at around 7.55am local time in the strait and targeted a container ship.
The UKMTO said no one was hurt and there was no environmental impact from the attack.
Iran’s semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies, believed to be close to the Guard, both reported on the attack, citing the UKMTO.
Fars went further to describe Iran as “lawfully enforcing” its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the strait had been considered an international waterway for the world’s shippers despite being in the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman.
It comes after the US seized an Iranian container ship after shooting it at the weekend and boarded an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean. – Associated Press
Europe readies response to second energy crisis in four years
The European Commission will set out plans on Wednesday to cut electricity taxes and co-ordinate the summer refill of countries’ gas storage, as it seeks to cushion the energy fallout from the Iran war.
Draft proposals seen by Reuters show the EU will, for now, avoid major market interventions such as capping gas prices or taxing energy companies’ windfall profits – measures it used in 2022 when Russia cut gas supplies and prices hit record highs.
Instead, the commission plans to curb EU tax rules to favour electricity over oil and gas, and make it easier for governments to cut industries’ electricity taxes to zero, according to the drafts, which could still change before publication.
The EU would also step in to co-ordinate countries’ efforts to fill gas storage in the coming months, and provide guidance on how governments should handle potential jet fuel shortages.
Europe’s heavy reliance on oil and gas imports has left it exposed to spiralling prices since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed and Iran started attacking energy infrastructure in the Middle East.
Europe’s benchmark gas price on Tuesday was roughly a third higher than before the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28th.
However, the EU’s biggest oil and gas suppliers, the US and Norway, are outside the Middle East, and the Iran crisis has not yet triggered fuel shortages in Europe. Airlines have warned, though, that jet fuel shortages could emerge in weeks.
EU officials told Reuters the bloc’s relatively restrained response reflects the fact that national governments, rather than Brussels, control many crisis-management levers, including subsidies and cutting national taxes and levies.
The commission’s plans outline non-binding ways for governments to provide “immediate relief”, including requiring businesses to avoid air travel where possible.
Some officials said the response also reflects an assessment that the war-driven energy shock could last for months, making it prudent to hold back more extreme measures for now.
Elisabetta Cornago, assistant director at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz “may lead us to a worse shock regarding oil than in 2022, a similar gas shock, but I think a smaller shock on electricity prices”.
That’s because countries have significantly expanded renewable electricity since 2022, she said.
The EU produced 71 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources, including renewables and nuclear, last year, up from around 60 per cent in 2022, data from think tank Ember showed. – Reuters
One person killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon
One person was killed and two others wounded in an Israeli drone strike overnight on the outskirts of al-Jbour in Lebanon’s western Bekaa Valley, Lebanese state news agency said on Wednesday.
Israel and Lebanon are supposed to be adhering to a 10-day ceasefire, which was agreed on Friday and included Hizbullah.
Israel and Lebanon will hold fresh talks in Washington on Thursday, according to a US state department official. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, will reportedly be part of the US delegation involved in those talks.
Trump claims Iran collapsing financially
The US president has posted to Truth Social about 90 minutes ago, claiming Iran is “collapsing financially” and was losing $500 million (€425 million) every day the Strait of Hormuz is closed.
“Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!”
Trump posted about Iran several times on Tuesday night.
“People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!” Trump said in an earlier post.
No response from Iran to threats
There was no response early on Wednesday to Trump’s announcement that the US blockade of Iran’s ports would continue from senior Iranian officials, although some initial reactions from Tehran suggested Trump’s comments were being treated sceptically.
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said Iran had not asked for a ceasefire extension and repeated threats to break the US blockade by force.
An adviser to Iran’s lead negotiator, the speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Trump’s announcement carried little weight and may be a ploy.
Trump’s wartime rhetoric has veered between extremes. In an expletive-filled threat against Iran only two weeks ago he promised that a “whole civilisation will die tonight”, while at other times he has appeared keen to end the violence and market uncertainty.
With his announcement, Trump again pulled back at the last moment from his threats to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges.
United Nations secretary general António Guterres and others have condemned those threats, noting international humanitarian law forbids attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Trump extends ceasefire with Iran
Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran, saying the Tehran regime was “seriously fractured”.
The last-minute move follows a request from Pakistan, which has been mediating in the conflict.
However, the US president said the blockade of Iran’s ports would remain in force.
The extension comes as the deadline loomed on the current fragile truce and proposed talks in Islamabad were put on hold, amid tensions over the ongoing stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan’s leaders, including prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, had made frantic efforts on Tuesday to get both Washington and Tehran to agree to further talks.
But hopes faded as US vice-president JD Vance, expected to again lead US negotiators, called off a trip to Pakistan as Iran refused to commit to attending.
Writing in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.
“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
