Iran denies any direct contact with Trump - official media

US President Donald Trump said the United States would escalate strikes if Iran does not accept an agreement proposed by US negotiators, according to Fox News.

When asked what would happen if Iran refused to sign, Trump said: “We’ll bomb the S out of them tomorrow night.”

US President Donald Trump said Iran called him on Wednesday night and asked for an end to the bombing, according to Fox News.

Trump said the Iranians requested that the strikes be stopped and added that the bombing would end shortly.

Iranian media reported on Wednesday that two “violating ships” attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz were struck.

The reports did not immediately provide details on the nature of the vessels, the extent of damage, or potential casualties.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the US military used the ceasefire period to significantly improve its intelligence gathering and target selection capabilities related to Iran.

“Let's just say this command (CENTCOM) has used the ceasefire wisely and with great efficiency to ensure that we're refining our intelligence and target sets,” Hegseth said in front of CENTCOM headquarter in Tampa, Florida.

"The US military's ability to identify targets, gather intelligence and penetrate networks would be vastly improved compared with the start of Operation Epic Fury," he added.

US President Donald Trump held a meeting in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday to discuss possible additional strikes against Iran, Axios reported, citing two US sources, hours after he said the United States "will hit them again hard today.

One option under consideration is a large-scale but short-term military operation aimed at pressuring Iran to change its position in negotiations, the report added.