Iran Says Possibility of Renewed War With US Is Low

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that the possibility of renewed war with the United States is low while warning that Iranian forces remain prepared against any attack. The statement followed Iranian accusations a day earlier that the United States had violated the ceasefire in place since April.

Officials described the most recent strikes as the most serious since the truce took effect and said Iran was ready to retaliate.

Iranian state media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards said their forces downed a US drone entering Iranian airspace and fired at an F-35 fighter jet. The Iranian foreign ministry said the US forces had committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region over the past 48 hours.

It added that Tehran would not leave any violation unanswered. The targets included missile launch sites and boats attempting to emplace mines.

In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed 31 people, including four children, according to the Lebanese health ministry. An April 17 truce between Israel and Hezbollah has not stopped the fighting. Iran has demanded that any peace accord also cover Lebanon.

Iranian state media reported that a top delegation returned from a two-day visit to Qatar on Tuesday while officials said they were finalizing a 14-point framework for ending the war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday that Iran was ready to reach a respectful framework to end the war.

Stock markets were mixed on Wednesday amid guarded optimism that the United States and Iran could reach a deal.