EU’s Kallas says ceasefire a relief but uncertainty remains

Kuwait’s interior ministry said an Iranian drone attack caused “severe material damage” at several vital facilities linked to the country’s energy sector.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said fires broke out at some of the targeted locations, which it said include sites belonging to the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation as well as three power stations and water desalination plants.

Authorities said emergency teams were dispatched to contain the fires and assess the damage.

“Violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places across the conflict zone which undermine the spirit of peace process,” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X Wednesday.

“I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so that diplomacy can take a lead role towards peaceful settlement of the conflict,” he added.

Danish shipping company Maersk said it is working urgently to assess prospects for commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

“The ceasefire may create transit opportunities, but it does not yet provide full maritime certainty, and we need to understand all potential conditions attached,” the company said in a post on its website.

“Any decision to transit the Strait of Hormuz will be based on continuous risk assessments, close monitoring of the security situation, and available guidance from relevant authorities and partners,” it added.

Arab countries fear sanctions on Iran could soon be lifted and that Tehran may begin collecting fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported, citing a diplomat.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes talks among Arab states, said countries astride the Persian Gulf were concerned any deal may not take their security interests into account, particularly regarding access to the strategic waterway.

The diplomat added that these states had not been invited to participate in ceasefire negotiations despite the talks affecting what he described as “the core of our security.”

Iran could withdraw from the two-week ceasefire agreement if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue, according to a report by Iran’s Tasnim news agency citing an unnamed source.

The IRGC-linked outlet said Iran’s armed forces are identifying targets in preparation for a response to Israeli strikes carried out against Lebanon on Wednesday.

Press TV also cited a source as saying Iran will punish Israel for attacks against Hezbollah that it says violate the ceasefire.