Iran will use nuclear weapon if it gets one, Senator Kennedy says

Iranians travelling along the road toward Tehran are increasingly concerned that the conflict with the United States and Israel could resume, amid stalled ceasefire talks and heightened regional tensions, according to a CNN report.

The report, based on CNN correspondence on route through northwestern Iran, said damaged infrastructure from earlier strikes and continued uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz have added to public anxiety about a possible return to hostilities.

Some residents quoted in the report warned that renewed strikes could not be ruled out, reflecting what CNN described as a broader sense of unease linked to political uncertainty and economic pressure inside the country.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Wednesday Iran is “isolated” over what he described as illegal actions in international waters, including mining and imposing tolls on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, Waltz said there were 113 co-sponsors of a UN Security Council resolution condemning Iran’s actions, adding that countries including India, Japan and South Korea backed the initiative.

The Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Europe, even as some troops and equipment were already en route, in a move marking a further reduction in the US military presence on the continent, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The decision halted the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, which had been preparing for a rotation in Europe, and follows earlier plans to remove 5,000 troops from Germany as part of a broader drawdown strategy under the Trump administration.

According to the report, some US military officials were surprised by the midstream cancellation, which came as the Pentagon shifts its focus toward homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific while encouraging European allies to take greater responsibility for their own security.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said on Wednesday a US court suspended sanctions imposed against her.

'The judge ruled that protecting the freedom of speech is always just the public interest," Albanese said in a post on X.

The US military has allowed 15 merchant vessels carrying “humanitarian aid” to pass through since a blockade on Iranian ports began, according to a US Central Command social media post on X.

CENTCOM said the vessels included ships permitted to dock in Iranian ports as well as those allowed to leave Iranian waters for open seas.

"US forces have redirected 67 commercial vessels and disabled four others to ensure compliance since the blockade began on April 13," CENTCOM said.