US-Iran war Updates: Pakistani Army chief Munir arrives in Tehran following Islamabad impasse

Amidst a fragile two-week ceasefire and a looming naval blockade, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff arrived in Tehran on Wednesday. His high-stakes visit is seen as a final-hour attempt to resuscitate peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran after the "Islamabad Talks" ended without a breakthrough. General Munir, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, was received by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The United States and Iran have agreed in principle to resume peace talks, but no date or location has been fixed yet, The Wall Street Journal reported citing sources. This comes days after first round of peace negotiations failed in Pakistan. 

Israel’s military said that it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as it presses ahead with its aerial and ground war there despite the US-Iran ceasefire. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling in multiple southern Lebanese locations on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.

Responding to reports that there may be a second round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, China said it “welcomes all efforts conducive to a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities,” at a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing today. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also praised Pakistan for its "role in facilitating a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran and playing a fair and balanced mediating role." Beijing has been working behind the scenes to bring Iran to the negotiation table. Trump also said that he believed China helped to encourage Iran to agree to the ceasefire.

Russia’s top diplomat reiterated that Moscow was ready “to play a role in solving the problem of enriched uranium” in Iran. “This role can take on many forms, including reprocessing highly enriched uranium into fuel-grade uranium, transferring a certain amount to Russia for storage. Anything that is acceptable to Iran without, I repeat, violating its inalienable right, like the right of any other state, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes,” Lavrov told reporters in Beijing, where he was on a two-day visit, The AP reported. 

Russia’s foreign minister said the country is ready to help cover China’s energy shortfall as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted due to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, according to Russian state media.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog stated on Wednesday that any potential agreement between the US and Iran to end the Middle East conflict must include highly detailed verification measures to closely monitor Iran’s nuclear activities.

About 70 Palestinian men were found hiding inside a garbage truck by Israeli police as they attempted to cross into Israel from the occupied West Bank, apparently in search of work. Israeli police released footage showing the back of the truck when it was being opened late Monday, revealing the men tightly crammed inside the truck's waste compartment.

According to the National News Agency (NNA), an Israeli airstrike on the town of Ansariyeh in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of five people.

Indian flagged LPG vessel 'Jag Vikram', which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 11, reached Kandla Port on April 14. The vessel is carrying 20,400 metric tonnes of LPG.

Hezbollah has stated that it conducted 34 military operations within a 24-hour period, targeting what it called illegal Israeli settlements, as well as gatherings of troops and military vehicles along the southern border and in northern Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told Pope Leo that Iran killed 42,000 innocent people and the regime couldn’t be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran was ‘close to over’ and that Tehran was ‘badly’ seeking a deal with Washington. Responding to a question during an exclusive interview with Fox News, Trump said had he not launched military operations in Iran, the latter would have developed nuclear weapons.

Iran is reportedly considering a temporary suspension of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, as per a Bloomberg report. The move is said to be aimed at avoiding confrontation with the United States and to prevent any disruption to ongoing diplomatic discussions.

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV as a strong advocate for peace, while also pushing back against some recent remarks made by the pontiff on Western military actions, including commentary linked to the Iran conflict.

Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, on Wednesday said the economic trade going into and out of Iran was completely halted by the US.  

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said that China will not get Iranian oil as the US will block Beijing’s tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. 

US Central Command reported that it successfully blocked all vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas within the first 24 hours of what it described as President Trump’s blockade.

US Navy guided-missile destroyers have been deployed to execute the blockade.

Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in decades as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants rocks southern Lebanon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors for Tuesday's discussions in Washington.

Iran's envoy to Pakistan on Tuesday termed the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a "reckless misstep meant possibly for a dignified exit and face-saving".

"A vicious circle of redundant words to reckless act and back again!" Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X.

The next round of ceasefire talks between the US and Iran is likely to take place in Pakistan. The first round was also held in Pakistan, which ended up without any outcome. 

The next round of talks is likely to take place over the next two days.