US criticizes NATO allies over Iran Epic Fury operation

Representative Joe Wilson on Wednesday urged Israel to turn away Russian shipments carrying what he described as stolen Ukrainian grain, warning that such purchases would indirectly support Moscow’s war effort and Iran’s regional agenda.

In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Wilson, a Republican co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, said buying the grain would “incentivize Russia’s war machine” while also benefiting Iran.

"As co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, I am grateful to bring attention to war criminal Putin’s support for the Iranian regime’s Death to America, Death to Israel agenda. Blood-soaked grain, stolen from temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, must be rejected," Wilson said.

The United States is studying and reviewing a possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a decision expected in the near term, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Iran may prioritize control of the Strait of Hormuz as a key pillar of regime survival after US-Israeli strikes, a Wall Street Journal op-ed said on Wednesday.

It says Iran, which previously refrained from threatening closure of the key maritime chokepoint due to fear of US retaliation, now sees disruption of Persian Gulf shipping as a potential pathway to strategic recovery.

"Neither Iran’s nuclear program nor its ballistic missile arsenal deterred the strikes," Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh said in the piece, adding that maritime leverage has overtaken atomic ambitions in importance.

The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday American forces successfully redirected 42 commercial vessels attempting to breach a maritime blockade, describing the effort as part of ongoing enforcement aimed at restricting Iranian oil exports.

Admiral Brad Cooper said the vessels were stopped from entering or exiting Iranian ports, adding that 41 tankers carrying an estimated 69 million barrels of oil are currently unable to be sold by the Iranian government, representing what he described as more than $6 billion in blocked revenue.

Iran executed at least 21 people and arrested more than 4,000 others on national security-related charges since the start of the war with the United States and Israel two months ago, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Volker Turk said at least nine of those executed were linked to protests in January, 10 were accused of membership in opposition groups, and two were executed on espionage charges.

“I am appalled that - on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict - the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” Turk said.