U.S. President Donald Trump said in social media posts there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped. The U.S. said it took out more than a dozen minelaying Iranian vessels Tuesday to help prevent any attempt to close the waterway.
Iran's vow not to allow any oil through the strategic strait has led to market volatility and fears of shortages, especially in Asia, which is dependent on oil shipped from the region.
Israel struck a building in the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut as part of its campaign against Hezbollah. The Lebanese group has been carrying out attacks against Israel in support of Iran.
Here is the latest:
Death toll in Lebanon rises to 570
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that the death toll since the latest round of Israel-Hezbollah fighting began on March 2, has risen to 570.
The ministry added that 1,444 people have been wounded since then.
The ministry said the dead included 86 children and 45 women.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to raise fuel surcharge
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways will soon raise its fuel surcharges after experiencing a jump in jet fuel prices during the Iran war, its leaders said Wednesday.
The company’s CEO, Ronald Lam, said an announcement on surcharge adjustment will be made soon. The airline saw jet fuel prices roughly double in March from the average prices recorded in January and February.
Lavinia Lau, the firm’s chief customer and commercial officer, reported a surge in demand for routes, including those flying between Hong Kong and Europe, as passengers sought alternatives.
The airline has already halted flight services to Dubai and Riyadh for this month.
Thai cargo ship struck in Strait of Hormuz; 3 crew members are missing
Thai officials say a search is underway for three missing crew members after a Thai cargo ship was struck and set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
Thailand’s Marine Department said 20 crew members from the ship Mayuree Naree have already been rescued by the Omani navy and brought ashore in Khasab. The department said the three missing crew members were reportedly in the engine room when the explosion occurred.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, said earlier that the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait.
The Marine Department said it is coordinating with relevant domestic and international agencies for the search and rescue operation and to provide assistance to the affected crew members.
Israel bolsters forces on northern border
Israel’s military said Wednesday it was repositioning troops from the south to provide reinforcements along the northern border.
Hezbollah last week resumed its drone and rocket attacks against Israel in support of Iran, and Israel responded with an intense, ongoing offensive.
For the residents of northern Israel, this has meant a return of the familiar sounds of explosions, interceptions, artillery fire and overhead jets. Sirens go off multiple times a day warning of incoming fire, typically providing a warning of just seconds to take cover and forcing residents to stay near shelters at all times.
Israel evacuated more than 60,000 people from northern Israel during the previous war with Hezbollah. There are currently no plans to evacuate northern communities.
Turkey calls for end to war, return to diplomatic efforts
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the war must be stopped before it “sets the entire region on fire.”
“If diplomacy is given a chance, it is indeed possible to achieve (peace),” Erdogan said in a speech to his ruling party’s legislators.
He said Turkey was pressing ahead with efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
Iran hosts public funeral for commanders killed Feb. 28
Iran held a funeral Wednesday for commanders and others killed at the start of the war with Israel and the United States.
Iranian state television aired footage of people gathered at Enqelab Square in Tehran, Iran’s capital, even as Israeli airstrikes targeted the city.
Among those being honored were Lt. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, and Lt. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, who led the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Israel carrying out strikes in Iran and against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
The Israeli military said it is simultaneously carrying out strikes across Iran as well as Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.
Pope Leo XIV pays tribute to a Lebanese priest killed in latest fighting
Pope Leo XIV is praying for peace in Iran, Lebanon and the Middle East at large, saying he hopes prayers may “be a comfort to those who suffer and a seed of hope for the future.”
Speaking at the end of his weekly general audience, Leo recalled that the funeral of a Maronite priest killed in southern Lebanon was being celebrated Wednesday. He said the Rev. Pierre El Raii, who was killed Monday as he tried to rescue a wounded parishioner, was a true pastor.
“May the Lord grant that his shed blood be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon,” he said.
The Vatican is particularly concerned about how the war is affecting Lebanon, a Muslim-majority country where about a third of the population is Christian.
Lebanon, where Leo visited late last year, has always been a priority for the Holy See since it stands as a bulwark for Christians in the region at a time when protracted conflicts have decimated Christian communities that date from the time of the Apostles.
Drones target Oman
Oman said Wednesday that it shot down an Iranian drone and another crashed into the sea near its port at Duqm.
The state-run Oman News Agency, quoting an anonymous security official, made the announcement. It said there were no human or material losses in Wednesday’s drone attack.
Duqm has been a key resupply point for the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group amid the war.
China says it is focused on ‘diplomatic mediation’ in Iran war
China’s government said its efforts in the Iran war have been focused on “diplomatic mediation,” hoping to help ease tensions, and that it is in communication with all parties, “including parties to the conflict.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Wednesday that China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has been holding phone conversations with different counterparts and that the special envoy to the region, Zhai Jun, is currently traveling across several countries.
“As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a sincere friend of Middle Eastern countries, China will not stop its efforts for peace, nor will it cease its voice in upholding fairness and justice,” he added.
Some Indian restaurants face cooking gas shortage
Some restaurant owners in India say they are struggling to secure liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, forcing them to scale back operations.
India has invoked emergency powers requiring refiners to divert more fuel for domestic use, a move hospitality sector groups say has tightened supplies for restaurants. The squeeze is being felt most acutely by restaurants in major cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“I will have to shut down my business. How can I run my restaurant without fuel?” said Amit Bhatia, a restaurant owner.
India relies heavily on oil and gas shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has attacked several ships in the strait and threatened any ships that try to pass through, effectively closing it.
Italy’s Meloni says U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran violate international law
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said the U.S.-Israeli attacks violate international law.
Meloni, in an address to the Italian Senate on Wednesday, described a broader international crisis “in which threats are becoming increasingly terrifying and unilateral interventions outside the confines of international law are multiplying.”
She said the “the American and Israeli intervention against the Iranian regime” should be understood as part of that broader crisis.
Alerts sounded in Qatar for incoming Iranian fire
An Associated Press journalist in Doha, Qatar’s capital, saw air defenses intercept incoming fire.
Israel targets Beirut’s southern suburbs
Israeli’s air force carried out three airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs Wednesday.
The strikes on the suburb of Haret Hreik and nearby areas came after the Israeli military warned that it would attack several buildings in the area.
UAE reports incoming Iranian fire
The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday afternoon its air defenses were trying to shoot down incoming Iranian fire.
Israeli strikes kill 14 and wound dozens in Lebanon
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says overnight Israeli strikes on eastern and southern Lebanon have killed 14 people and wounded more than two dozen people.
The ministry said seven were killed and 11 wounded in a strike on the southern village of Chehabiyeh, while seven were killed and 18 wounded in a separate strike on the village of Tamnine el-Tahta in the eastern Bekaa valley.
The ministry did not give further details but the state news agency said that the strike on Tamnine el-Tahta hit a home where a Syrian family lived. A resident in the area said the area struck was a small concrete block factory.
EU says war is costing Europe billions in energy price hikes
The European Union’s top official says the Iran war has already cost the 27-nation bloc’s citizens around 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in energy imports and warns Europe must resist the temptation to buy Russian oil and gas again.
“Gas prices have risen by 50% and oil prices have risen by 27%. If you translate that into euros — the 10 days of war have already cost European taxpayers an additional 3 billion euros in fossil fuel imports,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
“That is the price of our dependency,” she told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, noting the price of European renewables and nuclear energy has remained steady.
Von der Leyen rejected calls for the EU to return to buying Russian energy, which the bloc has stopped doing since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Zelenskyy says Ukrainian delegation heading to Gulf
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday a Ukrainian is heading to Gulf countries.
The delegation including military specialists and led by Defense Council secretary and chief negotiator Rustem Umerov will help strengthen defenses as tensions rise following Iranian attacks.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian specialists could help protect lives and stabilize the situation in the region.
He added it is impossible to predict how long the crisis will last but stressed that protecting lives and restoring stability is urgently needed, including for Ukraine.
Sri Lankan court orders release of Iranian soldiers’ bodies
A court in Sri Lanka has ordered a hospital to hand over the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S submarine attack off the island nation’s southern coast.
Galle National Hospital Director Ranga Sabapathige said he received the order from the Galle magistrate to return the bodies to Iranian officials.
The Iranian officials will travel from the capital Colombo to Galle on Wednesday for the transfer, he said.
Lebanon minister says war has displaced 780,000
Lebanon’s minister of social affairs says the war has displaced 780,000 people in the country so far.
Haneen Sayed told reporters after meeting President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday morning that 120,000 displaced people are staying in shelters around Lebanon.
They discussed the challenges of the response and the humanitarian aid arriving to support the displaced, Sayed said.
Sayed added that a European Union plane arrived Tuesday with aid that will be distributed in shelters.
She said additional aid shipments from Jordan, France and other countries are expected.
Iran says Middle East banks and financial institutions are targets
A joint Iranian military command said Wednesday that banks and financial institutions are now targets in the Middle East.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters issued a statement identifying the targets.
It came after Iranian media reported staff at a bank in Tehran had been killed in Israeli-American airstrikes.
The threat would put at risk particularly Dubai, which is home to many international financial institutions, as well as Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain.
Iranian drones strike near Dubai International Airport
Two Iranian drones struck near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday and wounded four people, authorities said.
The Dubai Media Office, which issues statement on behalf of the city-state’s government, said the attack caused “minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national.”
Flights have continued, the office said.
Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, is the world’s busiest for international travel. Authorities have been trying build up its flight schedule though the airport has been targeted in the war.
Speculation grows over health of Iran’s new supreme leader
Speculation over the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grew Wednesday after the son of Iran’s president mentioned hearing news about him “being injured.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mojtaba Khamenei long has been a secretive figure within Iran. His father and wife both were killed in an Israeli airstrike Feb. 28 that started the war.
Khamenei has not been seen since, nor has he given any statement since becoming supreme leader on Monday.
In an overnight post on the app Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote: “I heard news about Mr. Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem.”
He did not elaborate.