- US president Donald Trump has announced he will pause his ‘Project Freedom’ plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a deal to end the war with Iran.
- Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said the US is pursuing “a policy of maximum pressure” while also expecting Iran to submit to “unilateral demands” – a contradiction he said is “impossible” for Tehran.
- Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss “bilateral relations”.
- Pope Leo XIV has rejected Trump’s claim that he supports Iran having nuclear weapons, saying: “For years, the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point.”
- A fire at a shopping centre near Tehran has killed eight people and injured 36, according to local media reports.
