TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/PARIS/ST. PETERSBURG - While saying the United States is "nearing completion" of its core objectives in Iran, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday night threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.
"I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America's military objectives shortly very shortly. We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong," Trump said in a primetime address to the nation.
The president insisted that the negotiations between the US and Iran "are ongoing" despite Iran's denial, saying Iran's "regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders' deaths" and "the new group is less radical and much more reasonable."
"If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously," Trump said.
Iran rejects Trump's ceasefire claim as 'false and baseless'
Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed Trump's remarks about Iran seeking a ceasefire as "false and baseless," according to state-run Press TV.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei pushed back against Trump's remarks on social media platform Truth Social that the Iranian president "has just asked the United States of America for a ceasefire."
Trump added, "We will consider when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!"
Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president's office, also dismissed Trump's claim in a post on social media platform X.
"Iran's position regarding the patriotic defense of the country's integrity against the aggression of the evil forces, and the preconditions for ending the imposed war has not changed at all, and no attention is paid to the criminals' delusions and lies," Tabatabaei said, adding that, "The Iranian nation, determined, steadfast, and united, is defending the integrity of its homeland."
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Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and US assets in the region, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the US.
Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent days that Iran is seeking negotiations to end the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that messages have been exchanged between Iran and the US through intermediaries over the past few days, but stressed that no negotiations have taken place.
NYT: US doubles A-10 Warthog warplanes
The US military is doubling its deployment of A-10 attack planes to the Middle East to support advancing ground troops in the war against Iran, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The US Air Force is dispatching another 18 A-10 "Warthog" planes to join roughly a dozen already operating in the region, said the report, citing two Pentagon officials.
The slow-moving A-10 "Warthog" planes, which fly at low altitudes and slow speeds to loiter over targets on land and at sea, are reportedly to be used to help US ground forces seize territory near the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway that Iran has effectively closed, or Kharg Island, Iran's oil export hub, said the report.
The move comes as Trump said Tuesday he expected the war with Iran to end in two to three weeks.
Iranian factory tied to chemical weapons attacked
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said it struck a factory that transferred chemical substances to an Iranian facility designated for developing chemical weapons.
The IDF said in a statement that it struck the factory, owned by the Tofiq Daru Company, on Tuesday. The factory, presenting itself as a civilian business, functions as a main supplier of fentanyl to the Organization of Defense Innovation and Research (SPND), which is responsible for the development of chemical weapons in Iran.
Fentanyl in high doses is considered a highly lethal substance. The Tofiq Daru Company knowingly and systematically supplied the substance to the SPND organization, said the IDF, noting the strike impaired the Iranian government's chemical weapons production capabilities.
At least 10 missiles fired from Iran
At least 10 missiles were fired from Iran toward wide areas across Israel within about 45 minutes on Wednesday, as many families were heading to the traditional Passover dinner "Seder" on the eve of the Jewish holiday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom said that fragments from the missiles fell in several locations, but no casualties were reported.
Air defense sirens sounded multiple times following the launches, sending millions of people rushing to seek shelter. Loud explosions were heard across many parts of the country.
Separately, sirens were also triggered by simultaneous rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon into northern Israel, with no casualties reported either.
President: Iran willing to end the war if guarantees are provided
Iran is willing to end the war if guarantees are provided against repeated aggression, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday.
In a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, Pezeshkian blamed "hostile and aggressive" actions by the US and Israel for regional tensions and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that ceasing attacks is the only way to normalize conditions, according to a statement published by his office.
He criticized the European Union's "biased positions" toward US and Israeli aggression, calling it a violation of the rule of law and EU-stated principles.
He noted that Iran was negotiating constructively when it was attacked again by the US, proving that Washington "does not believe in diplomacy and seeks to solely dictate its demands." Pezeshkian underlined Iran's "inherent" right to legitimate self-defense, saying it respects its neighbors' sovereignty but faced attacks from US bases on their soil.
He emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to "aggressors and their supporters," warning that any foreign intervention would have "dangerous" consequences. He urged Europe to adopt constructive, law-based policies toward Iran.
Macron: France not taking part in US action against Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that France is not taking part in the military action launched by the US and Israel against Iran, in response to accusations by Trump, local media reported.
"It is absolutely true that France, which was not consulted and is not part of the military offensive launched by the US and Israel, is not taking part," Macron was quoted as saying by French news channel BFMTV.
Putin says Russia ready to offer logistic solutions
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the country could offer solutions to help reshape the global logistics and trade architecture amid recent developments in the Middle East.
Putin made the remarks while attending the first International Transport and Logistics Forum, being held in St. Petersburg this week. He said that transport and logistics, as key pillars of the global economy, are undergoing significant transformation.
The Iran war has already affected global energy markets and the transportation of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, he said, noting that countries and companies are placing increasing emphasis not only on speed and cost, but also on the security and resilience of transport routes and supply chains.
Russia could play an important role in building a new global logistics framework, offering routes that are both economically efficient and capable of diversifying international transport flows, he said.
