Iran US war highlights: Explosions heard from south Beirut amid local reports of Israeli strike

Iran US war LIVE updates: Iran military said it carried out strikes in Israel's port city of Haifa.

Iran US war highlights: US President Donald Trump on Thursday extended the pause in strikes on Iranian energy sites till April 6. “As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 PM, Eastern Time,” he said in a post on Truth Social.

He added that “talks are ongoing” between US and Iran, “despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others.” The US President had earlier announced a five-day pause in strikes on energy sites.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that Tehran was reviewing the US proposal, sent via Pakistan the previous day, to end the ongoing war in the Middle East. However, he said that Iran has no intentions of holding talks to end the widening regional conflict.

The exchange of messages through mediators "does not mean negotiations with the US," Araghchi said on state TV. He added, “They put forward ideas in their messages that were conveyed to top authorities, and if necessary, a position will be announced by them.”

Israel reportedly took Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf off its hit list after Pakistan requested the US not to target them. "The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out, we told the US if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the US asked the Israelis to back off," Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani source.

Iran says it targeted US F-18 fighter jet

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday claimed they had "successfully targeted" a US F-18 fighter jet. Iran's state media, Press TV, released a purported video as proof of the IRGC's claims.

However, the claim was rejected by the US Central Command, which said that no fighter jet had been shot down by Iran.

Peace talks in Pak 'speculation': White House

The White House on Thursday dismissed reports of possible peace talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt terming them "speculation".

"I've seen that speculation. Nothing is official until it is announced by this White House. We aren't going to get ahead of ourselves," she said.

White House explains JD Vance's role

Earlier on Wednesday, reports were doing the rounds that Iranian representatives had indicated to the US that they preferred negotiating with Vice President JD Vance rather than with Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Leavitt was asked about changes in the situation now that Vance had become an active participant in the Iran war. She responded saying that the Vice President always had an active involvement.

"Nothing has changed. The Vice President has always been a key member of the national security team and the President's right-hand man. He was instrumental in the 12-day war negotiations and the ceasefire in Gaza. Any reporting suggesting otherwise is false," she stated.

Strait of Hormuz Toll

Maritime trackers reported that some vessels were still crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the world's biggest oil chokepoint, guarded by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, every day, with most of the tankers exiting the Gulf.

The handful of vessels reportedly crossing the Strait daily were taking a new Iran-approved route being dubbed as "Tehran Toll Booth", news agency AFP reported, citing shipping journal Lloyd's List.

At least one vetted vessel reportedly paid $2 million to use the narrow waterway around Larak Island just off Iran's coast.

Additionally, Iran is also mulling a law to introduce a fee for ships passing through the Hormuz. The Iranian parliament is reportedly drafting the bill, ensuring a fee that would effectively charge for security and oversight, reported Fars News Agency.