Iran opened fire on three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz hours after United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he was extending the ceasefire with Tehran until the country comes up with a proposal to permanently end the war in West Asia.

Trump made the announcement hours before a two-week ceasefire, which began on April 8, was due to expire.

However, Mahdi Mohammadi, advisor to the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said that the extension of the ceasefire “means nothing”, Al Jazeera reported. “The losing side cannot dictate terms,” he asserted. “The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response.”

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Here are more top updates from the war in West Asia:

  • Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Wednesday that it opened fire on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz after it “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces”, reported the AP. The ships, MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, were “seized” off the coast of Iran, reported the Iranian state-owned news agency Tasnim.
  • A third ship, named Euphoria, was also “grounded off the coast of Iran” by the military later.
  • On the ceasefire, the US president said: “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of [Pakistani military chief] Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.” Trump, however, directed the US military to continue the blockade of Iranian ports, and to remain prepared “in all other aspects”. The US’ blockade of Iranian ports began on April 13, a day after talks between the two countries collapsed.
  • Meanwhile, Mohammadi said that “Trump’s ceasefire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”, reported Al Jazeera. “The time for Iran to take the initiative has come,” he added.
  • Iran’s United Nations envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said he believes negotiations will be held in Islamabad once the US ends its blockade of Iranian ports, CNN reported.
  • Trump also said that Iran does not want the Strait of Hormuz closed as, he claimed, Tehran can make $500 million dollars a day. He added that Iran only wanted the waterway closed because he has it “totally blockaded”. The US president said that “there can never be a deal” with Iran if he lifts the blockade “unless we blow up the rest of their country...”
  • Iran is collapsing financially, Trump claimed, adding that Tehran was “starving for cash”, and the military and the police are “complaining that they are not getting paid”.
  • After Trump’s announcement, US Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad to take part in peace talks was called off on Tuesday, CNN reported, quoting an unidentified White House official. Vance was to travel to the Pakistani capital along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Senior Adviser Jared Kushner to lead a US delegation to hold negotiations with Iranian officials.
  • Meanwhile, the Pakistani prime minister thanked Trump for “graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire” to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course. In a statement on social media, Sharif said that Islamabad shall “continue its earnest efforts” for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. “I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” he added.
  • Global oil prices fluctuated on Wednesday as the status of peace talks between the US and Iran remained unclear. The benchmark Brent crude dipped by 0.2% to $98.3 a barrel. The price was $78 per barrel on February 27, a day before the conflict started.
  • Major Asian stock indices on Wednesday had mixed responses to the developments. In India, the benchmark Sensex index had fallen 0.8% as of 12.35 pm. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.1%. However, Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s Kospi were up 0.04%, and China’s Shanghai Composite 0.5%.

The war

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.

Tehran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.

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An initial round of peace talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad collapsed on April 12.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.