Trump continues Iran blockade as peace talks near

A fire broke out on Wednesday at an oil refinery in Australia, as the nation is already facing an energy crisis triggered by the ongoing war in Iran.

The blaze was reported at the Viva Energy Geelong refinery located southwest of Melbourne. Firefighters said the fire had been contained to the plant.

Officials said there were no suspicious circumstances and no injuries were reported.

The facility is one of two refineries in Australia and provides 10% of the country’s gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

A fire broke out on Wednesday at an oil refinery in Australia, as the nation is already facing an energy crisis triggered by the ongoing war in Iran.

 The blaze was reported at the Viva Energy Geelong refinery, located southwest of Melbourne. Firefighters said the fire had been contained to the plant.

 Officials said there were no suspicious circumstances, and no injuries were reported.

 The facility is one of two refineries in Australia and provides 10% of the country’s gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

 Australia has agreed to underwrite two companies purchasing fuel at prices inflated by the war in the Middle East.

 The government agreed to terms with Australia’s largest suppliers, Ampol and Viva Energy, to underwrite contracts for gasoline and diesel purchased on the spot market at prices above normal commercial rates, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

 Albanese warned last week that supply disruptions would “have a long tail” even if the Iran ceasefire continued to hold.

 Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday it was too early to determine the extent of the fire’s impact on gasoline production.

 “The refinery is still producing diesel and jet fuel at reduced levels as a safety precaution,” Bowen told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

 “It’s not a positive development. It will have an impact,” Bowen said, referring to gasoline production.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to the kingdom on Wednesday.

Sharif said in a statement that he discussed Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran earlier this month.

He also reviewed peace talks held in Islamabad between the two countries last weekend, which ended without a lasting agreement.

“I reiterated Pakistan’s firm commitment to advancing its efforts to encourage both the U.S. and Iran towards an agreement aimed at lasting peace and stability in the region,” Sharif said.

He added that he was grateful for the crown prince’s support of Pakistan’s peace efforts.

Iran is set to execute its first female protester tied to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran, according to multiple human rights organizations.

Bita Hemmati was named in a collective death sentencing alongside three other defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The couple’s reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were also sentenced to death, while a relative, Amir Hemmati, received five years in prison.

The verdicts mark some of the most recent capital punishment decisions amid the government’s broader crackdown on suppressing unrest. Possibly thousands of protesters have reportedly been killed since demonstrations erupted this year.

“Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a couple living in Tehran, and Amir Hemmati is a relative of the two,” a source told HRANA. “Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad were living in the same residential building, and their arrests took place simultaneously.”

No execution date has yet been given.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu.

Paramedic groups said on Wednesday that four Lebanese rescue workers were killed after three consecutive, targeted strikes by the Israeli military.

Six others were wounded by the strikes.

The Israeli attacks on the southern village of Mayfadoun struck a group of medics responding to a distress call from wounded civilians before hitting a second group trying to assist their wounded colleagues and a third group seeking to help the first two teams that had been hit.

The Israeli military said it was “looking into” what happened.

The military previously alleged that the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah was using ambulances as cover for terrorist activities, although it did not offer any evidence to back its claims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Over three dozen Democrats supported two resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that would have blocked the sales of arms to Israel.

The added support shows growing opposition within the Democratic Party when it comes to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the wars in Iran and Gaza.

Sanders’ proposals would have blocked U.S. sales of bulldozers and bombs to Israel, though they failed 40-59 and 36-63, respectively, with Republicans voting unanimously to oppose the measures.

Still, Sanders continues to force votes to pressure the Senate to stop supporting Netanyahu and his regime.

In 2024 and 2025, Sanders forced resolutions that were also rejected, though the number of Democrats supporting him has more than doubled since then as Israeli campaigns in Lebanon, Gaza and Iran have been stepped up.

“It’s clear that Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support Netanyahu’s horrific wars when people in this country can’t afford housing or health care,” Sanders said after the votes were tallied.

Supporting Sanders was Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who before the vote said, “the reckless decisions being made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump” led to his decision.

Democrats voting against Sanders’ resolutions included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Iran’s oil network, sanctioning more than two dozen individuals, companies and vessels tied to a powerful shipping empire linked to regime insiders.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the targets are part of a network run by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of a senior Iranian security official, describing it as a multi-billion dollar operation that has facilitated illicit oil sales benefiting Tehran and its allies.

“Treasury is moving aggressively with Economic Fury by targeting regime elites like the Shamkhani family that attempt to profit at the expense of the Iranian people,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury will continue to cut off Iran’s illicit smuggling and terror proxy networks. Financial institutions should be on notice that Treasury will leverage all tools and authorities, including secondary sanctions, against those that continue to support Tehran’s terrorist activities.”

The action also targets a Hezbollah-linked financier and a network tied to a scheme involving Iranian oil traded for Venezuelan gold, marking the latest step in a broader U.S. campaign that has sanctioned more than 1,000 individuals, vessels and entities tied to Iran’s energy sector and proxy groups.

U.S. stocks climbed to record highs despite the ongoing conflict with Iran, as investors pushed past rising energy prices and broader geopolitical uncertainty.

NBC News reported that the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both closed at all-time highs, with each index now up on the year even after weeks of escalating tensions.

The rally has been sharp, with the S&P 500 gaining more than 11% and the Nasdaq rising 16% since their March 30 lows, while the Dow remains more than 2,000 points below its own record.

The gains come as markets appear to shrug off the economic impact of the war, even as energy prices surge and global supply concerns persist.

European energy buyers are weighing new routes to secure liquefied natural gas from Canada’s Pacific coast, even if it means higher costs, as the war with Iran disrupts global supply and forces a rethink of long-term sourcing.

Reuters reported that Germany’s Uniper is among the companies exploring the option, with sources saying European buyers have held discussions with Canada’s Ksi Lisims LNG project about potential shipments.

The plan would involve sending LNG through the Panama Canal — a longer and more expensive route that includes tolls — underscoring the growing urgency to diversify supply even at a premium.

While limited export infrastructure on Canada’s east coast has long constrained shipments to Europe, sources told Reuters the conflict in Iran is pushing buyers to reconsider costly alternatives in order to reduce reliance on more volatile regions.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah could be announced within days as efforts intensify to contain a broader Middle East conflict after weeks of fighting in southern Lebanon.

The Financial Times reported that Lebanese officials expect a truce “soon,” with a deal potentially taking effect this week after Israeli forces complete operations in the southern town of Bint Jbeil, citing people familiar with the discussions.

The push for a ceasefire comes as the conflict in Lebanon complicates wider efforts to secure a lasting agreement between the U.S. and Iran, with disagreements over whether Hezbollah’s role is covered under the broader truce and U.S. officials emphasizing the situations are separate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations against Hezbollah are continuing, describing Bint Jbeil as a stronghold, as officials signal any ceasefire in Lebanon could ultimately hinge on the durability of the fragile U.S.-Iran pause.

A former Iranian national wrestling champion is urging the U.S. to make humanitarian demands a central condition of any negotiations with Tehran, warning that executions are being used to crush dissent inside the country.

Sardar Pashaei, a former head coach of Iran’s national wrestling team, told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the regime is sending a clear message to its people.

“Whoever stand against this regime, this is the price they pay,” he said, adding that even during wartime, authorities have continued executing “athletes, people, women [and] prisoners.”

Pashaei directly appealed to President Donald Trump to tie any deal to human rights protections.

“If you make any deal with them, if you negotiate with them, all of our requests from Iranian people is please include humanitarian causes,” he said. “They should not execute any prisoners right now… You can save the life of this woman.”

His comments come as rights groups report hundreds of executions in recent months and as U.S. officials weigh renewed talks with Tehran, with Pashaei warning that without pressure, ordinary Iranians will continue to face arrests, violence and death sentences for opposing the regime.

Iran will compete in the World Cup despite its ongoing war with the United States, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, underscoring the tournament’s push to move forward amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

“The Iranian team is coming for sure, yes,” Infantino said while speaking at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum. “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that would definitely help. But Iran has to come. Of course, they represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”

“I went to see them. They are actually quite a good team as well,” Infantino said. “And they really want to play and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics now.”

Iran’s participation had been in doubt following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, with President Donald Trump raising safety concerns and discouraging the team from attending, as the United States prepares to co-host the tournament with Canada and Mexico.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Iran used imagery from a Chinese-linked satellite to help monitor U.S. military bases during last month’s conflict, two U.S. officials confirmed, pointing to a growing alignment between Tehran and Beijing in military capabilities.

The Financial Times first reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps secured access to the satellite, known as TEE-01B, through a deal with a Chinese satellite firm, giving Tehran enhanced surveillance reach across the region.

According to the report, Iranian commanders used the satellite to track key U.S. military sites, with time-stamped imagery captured before and after drone and missile strikes, suggesting the system played a role in targeting and battle damage assessment.

It remains unclear whether specific strikes relied directly on the satellite data, but U.S. officials confirmed Iran obtained access to the imagery as part of the arrangement, underscoring deepening cooperation between Iran and China.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

A U.S. Navy destroyer forced an Iranian-flagged cargo ship to turn back after it attempted to slip past a newly imposed blockade, as Washington tightens its grip on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Yesterday, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evade the U.S. blockade after leaving Bandar Abbas, exiting the Strait of Hormuz, and transiting along the Iranian coastline,” U.S. Central Command said on X. “The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) successfully redirected the vessel, which is heading back to Iran.

“Ten vessels have now been turned around and ZERO ships have broken through since the start of the U.S. blockade on Monday,” the statement continued.

Pressure on global energy supplies could ease slightly as Iran signals it may allow limited shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz as part of ongoing negotiations with the United States.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Tehran is considering a proposal to permit vessels to pass through the Omani side of the strategic waterway without interference, if a deal is reached to prevent renewed conflict, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

The move could help relieve a major bottleneck that has disrupted roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows, with hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf since the war began in late February.

It remains unclear whether Iran would remove any underwater mines or allow all vessels — including those linked to Israel — to pass freely, with the proposal contingent on whether Washington meets Tehran’s demands as talks continue.

House Democrats filed formal articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the Trump Cabinet member of abusing his office and committing war crimes.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced six articles of impeachment against Hegseth along with 12 other House Democrats.

“Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office, and carried out unlawful military actions despite his obligation to refuse — including strikes on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran,” Ansari said in a statement announcing formal filing of the resolution.

She further claimed Hegseth’s “conduct meets the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors and warrants immediate removal by Congress.”

Find out what Democrats say is the basis for trying to impeach Pete Hegseth.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace.

A coalition of Western and allied finance ministers is warning that the economic fallout from the Iran conflict could linger even with a ceasefire in place, citing ongoing risks to energy markets, inflation and global stability.

In a joint statement, finance chiefs from the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Poland and New Zealand called on the U.S., Israel and Iran to fully implement the recently announced ceasefire, while pushing for a negotiated resolution to prevent further disruption.

“Renewed hostilities, a widening of the conflict or continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would pose serious additional risks to global energy security, supply chains, and economic and financial stability. Even with a durable resolution of the conflict, impacts on growth, inflation and markets will persist,” the ministers said.

The group also pledged a coordinated economic response while rejecting protectionist measures that could worsen supply shocks, urging international institutions to prepare support for vulnerable nations as geopolitical tensions — including Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine — continue to weigh on the global economy.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.

Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.

The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization: command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.

The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran — one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.

Find out what else the IDF said about the blow to Hezbollah.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter.

Republicans aren’t ready to jump ship against President Donald Trump’s Iran war, as evidenced by another failed attempt to handcuff his war powers in the Middle East, but they also aren’t lining up to support a prolonged conflict.

Senate Republicans blocked another war powers resolution from Senate Democrats for a fourth time on Tuesday as Operation Epic Fury entered its 46th day. It comes as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is nearing its end, and talks toward a broader peace agreement remain tenuous.

Democrats initially started their war powers strategy to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify publicly on the administration’s rationale behind the conflict. They argued that Iran posed no imminent threat, making the war unconstitutional without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution.

Now, they’ve loaded up six new resolutions to continue that push.

Find out what else lawmakers said about the War Powers Resolution.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Wednesday that his country’s objectives are in line with those of the U.S. when it comes to Iran, adding that Israel is prepared for any scenario should fighting resume.

“Our American allies keep us constantly updated on the contacts with Iran. Our objectives are aligned,” he said.

“In light of the possibility that the fighting may resume with Iran, we are prepared for any scenario,” Netanyahu added.

A British school has terminated a senior diversity official after an investigation found she praised Hamas militants in social media posts following the October 7, 2023, attack.

The Times of Israel reported that the Cabot Learning Federation, which runs Bristol Brunel Academy, dismissed Saima Akhtar after reviewing posts in which she referred to Palestinians as “heroes” and “resistance fighters” and challenged narratives portraying Israel as a victim.

Akhtar also accused Western governments and media of enabling “ethnic cleansing and genocide,” according to the report, prompting scrutiny over whether her statements aligned with the expectations tied to her role.

A spokesperson said employees are required to promote inclusion and reject discrimination in and out of the classroom, as the academy has previously faced backlash over a canceled appearance by a Jewish member of parliament following staff protests.

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg signaled clear limits on the alliance’s role in the Iran conflict, saying it should not be pulled into supporting U.S. military operations even as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on European allies — exposing a growing divide over what NATO is meant to do.

“NATO is a defensive alliance,” Stoltenberg, now Norway’s finance minister, told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “The strikes or the war against Iran were never an attempt to make that into a NATO operation.”

Stoltenberg framed the disagreement not over whether Iran poses a threat, but over how to confront it, with European governments favoring sanctions and diplomatic pressure over direct military involvement.

“We all agree the Iranian nuclear program is dangerous,” he said. “The question is how we achieve that goal.”

The divide reflects a deeper mismatch between Washington and its allies: Trump has treated the conflict as a test of NATO support — urging countries that benefit from the Strait of Hormuz to help secure it militarily — while European governments have largely rejected that approach, arguing the war falls outside the alliance’s mandate.

Trump has sharply criticized NATO allies for refusing to back U.S. operations tied to the conflict, at times questioning the alliance’s value and warning it had failed a key test as tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz.

“NATO wasn’t there for us, and they won’t be there for us in the future,” Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social. 

The president has alternated between pressuring allies to step up and downplaying their importance, at one point calling NATO’s response a “very foolish mistake” while also insisting the United States “doesn’t need any help.”

Major European powers have resisted Trump’s push to provide military support. 

“The feeling is, this is not Europe’s war,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters in an interview published March 17. 

Spain blocked U.S. aircraft involved in the Iran conflict from using its airspace and denied access to key bases at Rota and Morón, forcing American forces to reroute missions. France has provided limited logistical support but restricted certain overflight requests tied to military operations, reviewing them on a case-by-case basis.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Morgan Phillips.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Pakistan for its efforts to mediate peace talks between Iran and the U.S. on Wednesday.

Leavitt says Pakistan remains the lone mediator in the process, despite offers from other countries to assist the effort.

“The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process, and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close. So they are the only mediator in this negotiation. While there have been many countries around the world who want to offer their help, the president feels it’s important to continue to streamline this communication through the Pakistanis. And so that’s what continues to take place,” Leavitt said.

President Donald Trump has previously praised the leader of the Pakistani delegation, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent predicted that gas prices will be back to $3 a gallon by September 20 on Wednesday.

Bessent made the statement during a press conference at the White House, telling reporters that the drop could happen much sooner. He added that the timing depends on “how the negotiations go” with Iran.

“President Trump said this morning that he thinks we’re nearing the end. the U.S. kept their side on the ceasefire. We’ve stopped firing. The Strait of Hormuz have not been completely reopened. So we will see. And I’m optimistic, that during the summer we will see gas with a three in front of it sooner rather than later,” Bessent said.

“I’m optimistic that sometime between June 20th and September 20th that we can have $3 of gas again,” he added.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran has an “inalienable” right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes during a state visit to China on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.

“The right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes is an inalienable right of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Lavrov said during a Tuesday press conference following a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Times of Israel.

Access to said uranium has been a hard line for President Donald Trump in ongoing peace negotiations with Iran.

“There will be no enrichment of Uranium,” Trump wrote in an April 8 post on Truth Social, adding that the U.S. would be working with Iran to dig up all remaining nuclear materials in the country to ensure the Islamic Republic would not have access to any uranium.

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation during Saturday negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, doubled down on that red line.

“The enriched uranium that the Iranians currently possess, we have said that we want that to come our of their country, and we would like to take possession of it,” Vance told Fox News’ Brett Baier on Monday.

“The president doesn’t want to leave the next president or the president after that to be worrying about this program so we would like to get that material out of the country completely so that the United States has control over it.

Despite the U.S. hard line, Russia’s top diplomat appeared to openly defy the U.S. demand, speaking in strong terms against what he viewed as American global control.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Robert McGreevy

U.S. Central Command posted audio of the broadcast warning sent from U.S. Navy ships enforcing the blockade against Iran Wednesday.

“The U.S has announced a formal blockade of Iranian ports in coastal areas. This is a legal action. All vessels are advised to immediately return to port if leaving and discontinue transit to Iran of that is your next port or call,” the message says.

“Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian port. Turn around and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade we will use force. The whole of the United States Navy is ready to force compliance. Out,” the message says.

The U.S. military says it has successfully blocked 9 oil tankers heading to or from Iranian ports as part of President Donald Trump’s blockade against Tehran.

The U.S. began enforcing the blockade 48 hours ago, and U.S. Central Command says no vessels have made it past U.S. forces.

“During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces. Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area,” CENTCOM wrote in a statement on X.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “take” Iran’s enriched uranium if necessary — raising questions about how American forces could physically secure the material after strikes on nuclear sites.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we’re going to get the dust back. We’ll get it back. Either we’ll get it back from them or we’ll take it,” Trump said at the White House Monday, referring to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles.

The comments also come after high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan over the weekend ended without a deal, with disputes over uranium enrichment and control of nuclear material at the center of the impasse.

With diplomacy stalled, a key challenge remains: airpower can damage nuclear facilities, but physically locating, securing and removing enriched uranium would require a far more complex operation.

Iran is believed to possess a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade — material that could be further refined for use in nuclear weapons if not brought under control.

Analysts say securing the material itself would likely require forces on the ground.

“If the U.S. wants to secure Iran’s nuclear materials, it’s going to require a massive ground operation,” Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told Fox News Digital.

Davenport said the highly enriched uranium believed to be stored at Isfahan appears to be deeply buried and contained in relatively mobile canisters. Securing it would likely require locating the full stockpile, accessing underground facilities and safely extracting or downblending the material.

“It’s not even clear the United States knows where all of the uranium is,” she said, noting that the mobility of storage containers raises the possibility that some material could be moved or dispersed.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Morgan Phillips.

The Department of War revealed Wednesday that 395 U.S. servicemembers have been injured in the Middle East since Operation Epic Fury began.

The Pentagon says 270 of the injuries were in the U.S. Army, while 63 were in the Navy, 19 in the Marines and 43 in the Air Force.

Thirteen U.S. servicemembers have been killed in the conflict.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to block shipping beyond the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. continues its blockade on Iranian ports Wednesday.

IRGC leader Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi said Iranian forces would attempt to block “any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea.”

Abdollahi said any move by the U.S. to create “insecurity” for Iranian shipping vessels would “constitute a prelude to a violation of the ceasefire.”

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson said the United States’ upcoming meeting with China may not happen if the war in Iran continues, as Beijing grows increasingly dissatisfied with the U.S.’ aggressive military campaign.

Paulson said the United States’ relationship with China is the most consequential bilateral relationship, but added there is a “huge trust deficit” that needs to be addressed.

“They are intense competitors with the economy… and they’re adversaries when it comes to military issues,” he said. 

The former Treasury secretary said that because the two economies are so deeply integrated, he described the U.S.-Chinese economic relationship as “mutually assured economic disruption.”

“Each country knows the other can do things to really disrupt their economy,” Paulson told FOX Business anchor Liz Claman. “And they know that. And no country can afford a trade war right now. No country can do that. If this spins out of control, it’s going to go through the economy.”

Paulson predicted how Trump and Jinping’s meeting in May will unfold, suggesting that it will focus on stability.

“Let’s just remember, Liz, that this will hopefully be the first of four meetings,” Paulson said. “And right now there’s a huge trust deficit, but what we know is both want stability, right? And so the emphasis, don’t expect a big breakthrough. Expect the Chinese to welcome him [President Trump], you know, with all the pomp and the ceremony, and the symbolism, and then expect an emphasis on stability.”

“We’re going to see mechanisms for managing trade so it doesn’t spin out of control,” he added. “We’re going to see mechanisms so there can be more cross-border investment. And the biggest thing we need to get out of this is to put guardrails in place so we each understand the other’s red lines, we can compete, and we don’t get into a trade war.”

The former Treasury secretary also commented on the economic impact of Trump’s war on Iran as the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz causes oil prices to surge.

FIRST ON FOX: Sensitive U.S. military positions in the Middle East may have been exposed through commercial satellite imagery ahead of an Iranian strike that wounded American troops, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar warned in a new letter raising national security concerns.

In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Moolenaar said Airbus satellite imagery may have been the original source of images later published by a China-based company, MizarVision, which released high-resolution, annotated views of U.S. military aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

Moolenaar pointed to a sequence in which the firm publicly identified U.S. aircraft at the base shortly before Iran launched a March 27 missile and drone strike on the installation.

The attack wounded at least 12 U.S. service members — two critically — and damaged multiple high-value aircraft, including KC-135 refueling tankers and an E-3G Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft.

Moolenaar said the timing and level of detail in the imagery raise questions about whether publicly available satellite data could be used by adversaries to identify and target U.S. military assets, warning that such images risk becoming “targeting data for enemy forces.”

While commercial satellite imagery is widely available and often used for research and transparency, the letter warns that near-real-time, high-resolution images of active operations could provide adversaries with actionable intelligence.

Moolenaar urged War Secretary Pete Hegseth to press Airbus to restrict the release of such imagery, noting that other companies, including Planet Labs, have voluntarily withheld images of the region at the request of the U.S. government.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Morgan Phillips.

The U.S. is engaged in peace talks with Iran but has not yet agreed to extend President Donald Trump’s initial two-week ceasefire, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Wednesday.

“The United States has not formally agreed to an extension of the ceasefire. There is continued engagement between the U.S. and Iran to reach a deal,” the official said.

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a long-shot bill in a possible attempt to remove President Trump from office using the 25th Amendment.

The 10-page legislation, introduced by House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., would create a 17-member commission to assess whether the amendment could be used to boot Trump from the White House.

The panel would be composed of several physicians and former high-ranking executive officials appointed by congressional leaders from both parties.

“[T]he Commission shall carry out a medical examination of the President to determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office,” the bill states.

Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber of Congress would select four physicians and four psychiatrists to serve on the commission. The 16 appointed members would then vote to select an additional member to chair the body.

Many House and Senate Democrats have called for Trump to be removed from office or impeached after he wrote that a “whole civilization will die tonight” in a social media post regarding the war in Iran. Raskin cited Trump’s “increasingly volatile, incoherent, and alarming public statements” during the ongoing conflict.

“We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet,” Raskin said in a statement. “Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church, and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ.”

The legislation has 50 Democratic co-sponsors.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Louis Casiano.

President Donald Trump says Chinese leader Xi Jinping denied sending arms to Iran amid its war with the U.S. on Wednesday.

Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that he exchanged letters with Xi this week after reports that China planned aid Iran militarily.

Those reports led Trump to threaten China with a 50% tariff if it moved to support Tehran.

President Donald Trump predicted on Wednesday that gas prices will drop “tremendously” when the war in Iran ends.

Trump made the comment during an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, going on to say that the conflict with Iran is set to end “soon,” and before the midterm elections.

“Gasoline is coming down very soon, and very big,” Trump said. “I think they’ll be much lower. Before midterms? Much lower.”

“I mean, that’s on the assumption that we stop a country that cannot have a nuclear weapon from–if you give Iran a nuclear weapon, you wanna see bad stock markets? You won’t have a country,” he continued.

“So, on the assumption we have that settled, hopefully long before that…when that’s settled, gas prices are gonna go down tremendously,” he added.

President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran war is “very close” to an end as hostilities ease amid a two-week ceasefire agreement.

“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump told FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that will air on “Mornings with Maria” on Wednesday.

“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump told FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that will air on “Mornings with Maria” on Wednesday.

The president’s comments come as peace talks between U.S. officials and Iranian negotiators are reportedly expected to restart Thursday following stalled weekend talks in Pakistan.

On Monday, Trump instituted a naval blockade of all Iranian ports, marking a fresh intensification of the conflict after the U.S. agreed to stop bombing Iran last week.

Despite Trump saying the war is nearing an end, he also said the U.S. is not done.

“If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

Vice President JD Vance and senior White House officials held negotiations with Iranian officials over the weekend in Pakistan regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and enrichment plans.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox Business’ Nora Moriarty.

With a second round of talks likely to place between the U.S. and Iran’s regime this week over its illicit nuclear weapons programs, leading experts on Tehran’s program say the Trump administration was right to walk away.

After nearly a day of talks, Vice President JD Vance’s team pulled the plug on the negotiations taking place in Pakistan, something welcomed by experts in the field.

 “The U.S. team was wise to walk away once it became clear the Iranians would not agree to Washington’s core nuclear demands. Tehran maintaining enriched uranium stocks and uranium enrichment capabilities provides it with a pathway to nuclear weapons, plain and simple,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

A core dispute between the U.S. and Iran is over Tehran’s desire to enrich uranium — the material used to build nuclear weapons.

In 2018, President Trump withdrew from President Obama’s nuclear weapons deal with Iran because his administration argued that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the deal, permitted Iran to build an atomic bomb.

When asked what a good nuclear agreement would look like, Stricker said, “A good deal requires the regime to not only turn over its nuclear fuel, dismantle key facilities, and commit to a permanent ban on enrichment, but to cooperate with an IAEA investigation that fully and completely accounts for and dismantles Iran’s nuclear weapons-relevant facilities, equipment, documentation, centrifuges and related production capabilities.”

Stricker acknowledged that the process could take several years, but noted that “the IAEA is well-equipped for this mission and has experience dismantling nuclear weapons programs in Iraq, Libya and South Africa. Anything less and Iran will likely cheat on its commitments and reconstitute a breakout pathway.”

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal.

A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted two oil tankers trying to leave Iran on Tuesday and ordered them to turn back, Reuters reported, citing two U.S. officials.

The vessels departed from Chabahar Port in the Gulf of Oman and were contacted by the warship via radio communication, the officials told the outlet.

The officials also said the vessels were among six that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said had been instructed to return toward Iranian ports after entering the Gulf.