Hormuz is under Iran’s control, not CENTCOM’s, Iranian deputy FM says

US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers have departed RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom after a deployment linked to US military operations against Iran, aviation observers reported on Wednesday.

"Six aircraft reportedly left the base in two waves on Tuesday, marking the end of a months-long deployment following the outbreak of hostilities," the report said.

Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari said the war between the United States and Iran left “everybody worse off,” citing US military casualties, Iranian civilian deaths, higher costs for Americans, and a more repressive political environment in Iran.

Ansari said 13 US service members were killed, thousands of Iranian civilians were killed, Americans faced higher prices, and Iran had become a “younger, more repressive regime.”

Hardline lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari said what he described as a “political coup” is being carried out against Iran’s supreme leader, adding that efforts are underway to scale back street ceremonies and reduce the influence of institutions aligned with him.

"Pezeshkian and those around him are strengthening the Supreme National Security Council and diminishing the role of the supreme leader and parliament. They have devised a plan to sideline the leadership of the system. Their plan is to make the Supreme National Security Council the sole decision-making body. It is a kind of political coup that they are advancing step by step. The people must remain mobilized to neutralize this conspiracy," he said in a video posted on X on Wednesday.

Ghazanfari said large sums of money were being used to discourage eulogists and speakers from taking part in nightly public gatherings.

"A letter has been sent to the Basij instructing them not to support these gatherings. Parliament has also been effectively shut down for four months so that representatives cannot protest this so-called political coup against the leadership of the system," he added.

Qatari and Pakistani mediators held separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Wednesday, making "positive progress" on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"Qatar & Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the US & Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit," Majed Al Ansari posted on X.

"The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader," he added.

Amir Hossein Jafari, hardline cleric criticized Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over his defense of engagement with the United States, saying talks with what he called the "murderer of the Imam of the nation" would neither protect Iranians' rights nor solve the country's problems.

"Mr. Ghalibaf! You could be our political leader, our president, our parliament speaker, and... you could be absolutely in charge of everything for us! But understand that sitting with the killer of the Imam of the Ummah does not fulfill any right of the nation-far from it, it only makes the knots of the country's issues tighter and more complicated!" Jafari posted on X.