Wall Street opens higher after Trump extends Iran ceasefire

Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it fired a drone at an Israeli post in southern Lebanon in retaliation for what it described as Israeli violations of the 10-day ceasefire.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire by launching “a hostile aircraft” toward Israeli soldiers operating in the area.

Israel said the aircraft was intercepted by its air force and did not cross into Israeli territory.

Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi said on Wednesday that he had arrived in Berlin to ensure the voices of Iranians fighting for their liberation are heard, ahead of meetings with German lawmakers, media and members of the Iranian diaspora.

“As Iranians continue to fight for their liberation, I have arrived in Berlin to ensure their voices are heard,” Pahlavi said in a post on X.

“Tomorrow I will meet at the Bundestag with elected officials across the German political spectrum, speak to members of the press, and meet with the Iranian diaspora,” he added.

The US military has introduced Ukrainian counter-drone technology at a key air base in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The deployment involved a Ukrainian command-and-control platform known as Sky Map at Prince Sultan Air Base, the sources said.

The system is used by Ukraine’s military to identify incoming drone threats, including Iranian-developed Shahed drones, and respond by deploying interceptor drones.

Britain welcomed the extension of the US-Iran ceasefire on Wednesday and called for talks to resume.

“The UK welcomes the ceasefire extension. We want to see negotiations restart, a comprehensive settlement and full reopening of the Strait without restrictions or tolls,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Wednesday.

She warned that any return to hostilities would be a major setback for the region, the global economy and the cost of living.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and directed them toward Iranian shores, hours after Donald Trump said the United States would extend a ceasefire with Iran.

In a statement, the Guards said the vessels, identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, had violated maritime regulations and endangered navigation by manipulating their tracking systems.

It said the ships were detained and escorted to Iran’s coast, adding that disruption to security in the Strait of Hormuz was a “red line,” referring to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

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