US and Iranian officials said a ceasefire deal may be close, but conflicting accounts over sanctions, nuclear terms and the Strait of Hormuz left the outcome uncertain. Pakistan’s prime minister claimed a final text had been agreed, a statement neither Washington nor Tehran confirmed.
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India lodged a “strong protest” with the United States after three Indian sailors were killed in a U.S. strike on the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces also disabled two other tankers this week as part of a naval blockade linked to Iran.
Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, while the BBC reported a toll of 17. The UN said it will send investigators to assess possible violations of international law by all sides.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they struck US military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan after American attacks on Iranian sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan said it intercepted five missiles, while US officials told Reuters nearly all Iranian missiles and drones were stopped.
A federal judge permanently blocked Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee with nitrogen gas, finding the method unconstitutional. The state is appealing or considering an appeal, and the case is expected to reach the US Supreme Court.
Louisiana authorities said Victor Rivas, 40, was attacked by an alligator after fleeing a DWI investigation into a swamp near New Orleans. He was treated for non-life-threatening arm injuries and booked on impaired driving and resisting charges.
Trump said the United States is close to a deal involving Israel and Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as new exchanges of fire underscored the fragility of ceasefires across the region. Israel and Iran paused attacks after strikes on Iranian and Israeli facilities caused no reported deaths on either side.
The Pentagon has added Alibaba, BYD and Baidu to its list of firms it says support China’s military. China’s embassy condemned the designation as discriminatory, while Alibaba said there is no basis for its inclusion.