US launches new strikes on Iranian military targets used to attack ships in Strait of Hormuz

Talks between the U.S., Israel and Lebanon concluded on a positive note Wednesday after two days of productive discussions on a withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from pilot zones in southern Lebanon, an official from the U.S. State Department told Fox News.

The sides agreed on the structure and guidelines for Israel's withdrawal from the pilot zones "to be finalized and implemented in the coming days," the official said.

Talks will now advanced to the technical stage "which will focus on implementing all areas of the Trilateral Framework with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon," the official said.

Israeli forces launched a ground invasion into Southern Lebanon in March as part of a targeted operation against the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.

In June, Israeli and Lebanese officials agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework deal that set the groundwork for an Israeli withdrawal "after the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups."

Despite Hezbollah leaders rejecting the framework, Israeli, Lebanese and U.S. leaders have worked on its implementation since June.

Fox News' Nicholas Kalman contributed to this report.

Since restarting the naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces have redirected two commercial vessels attempting to evade the blockade, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported in a Wednesday post on X.

"Since restarting the naval blockade against Iranian ports 17 hours ago, U.S. forces have redirected 2 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade," CENTCOM wrote.

"The U.S. military remains vigilant and prepared to ensure full compliance," the post concluded.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released video of a precision strike on an Iranian military target on Wednesday, part of a 90-minute wave of strikes intended to degrade Iran's attack capacity.

"CENTCOM launched precision munitions against coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island during the 90-minute wave. The strikes further degraded Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM wrote in a post on X.

The strikes, CENTCOM shared, ended at 7:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday morning.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is threatening to shut down additional energy export corridors, issuing a warning to the U.S. on Wednesday.

The IRGC warned Wednesday that the U.S. "must brace for the closure of all other export corridors that benefit the U.S. and its allies," according to Reuters.

"Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all," the IRGC added.

Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired missiles into Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, on Monday, claiming the kingdom bombed a Houthi-controlled airport.

Controlling much of the territory in northwest Yemen, the Houthi terrorists had previously disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, attacking vessels transiting through the Bab al-Mandab Strait between Yemen and Africa's east coast in 2025.

Hundreds of U.S. Marines storm ashore as helicopters thunder overhead, Navy warships and fighter jets establish overwhelming air and sea superiority, and commanders issue one final warning to Iranian forces: surrender or be overrun.

That is how military experts envision the opening hours of a potential U.S. operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island — the tiny but strategically vital island that handles roughly 90% of the Islamic Republic's crude oil exports and has become the centerpiece of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran.

The scenario was thrust back into the spotlight Tuesday after President Donald Trump declined to rule out taking the island. "I can't say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish," Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst during an exclusive interview on ‘Special Report’ when asked directly whether he planned to seize Kharg island. He added that previous U.S. strikes intentionally avoided the island's oil facilities because they are "a chunk of the world economy."

"There are a lot of ways to skin this cat," retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

This is an excerpt from a story by Efrat Lachter.

An Indian marine engineer is dead after a commercial vessel was struck off the coast of Oman on Sunday, according to Reuters, citing his family and the Indian consulate in Dubai.

Heramb Karmarkar, 30, was an engineer aboard the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy, which Iranian authorities later said they had targeted off the coast of Oman on Sunday.

The ship and its 24-member crew were hit by an "unidentified projectile," Reuters reported, citing Cyprus authorities.

Iran said it targeted the vessel after it attempted to transit through what Tehran described as an unauthorized route despite warnings to change course.

Vivek Tandon, Karmarkar's father-in-law, told Reuters that the ship's operating company informed him that Karmarkar had died.

Karmarkar is the second Indian national reported killed in the region this week. India's Ministry of External Affairs said an Indian crew member aboard a UAE-flagged supertanker died after an Iranian cruise missile struck the vessel Tuesday.

Reuters contributed to this post.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a fresh round of strikes on Iran intended to degrade the Islamic Republic's military capacities following repeated Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

"At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM wrote in a Wednesday morning post on X.

The strikes followed multiple rounds of similar U.S. strikes from the previous days.

The United Nations on Tuesday condemned the renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East, warning that closing the Strait of Hormuz again would harm human rights in that region and beyond.

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk called the renewed attacks "a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond," warning about the "impact on human rights far beyond the region."

The strait "is a vital lifeline on which millions are reliant," Turk said.

"Disruptions to the flow of food, medicines, and other necessary commodities have severe socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences, both regionally and globally, he continued, adding that diplomacy, restraint and de-escalation must be prioritized," he said.

Turk said hostilities between the U.S. and Iran "must stop immediately," urging an immediate return to the ceasefire.