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U.S. President Donald Trump claims that Iran has asked for a ceasefire deal, one the United States is considering accepting — when the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, Fox News reported Wednesday.

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Trump is to give a primetime presidential address at 9 p.m. ET.

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The presidents declaration comes after he said the U.S. military could wrap up its Iran offensive later this month, shifting the responsibility to the other countries that rely on the critical Strait of Hormuz for oil and shipping. Or, more specifically, when he told allies unwilling to do more to support America’s war efforts to “go get your own oil.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, insists that there have been no direct negotiations with the U.S., and said Iran has no faith that any talks would even yield results, declaring “the trust level is at zero.”

Meanwhile, oil fell below $100 per barrel and Asian shares jumped over renewed optimism about a de-escalation of the Iran war.

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Here’s the latest from Wednesday:

Foreign minister signals Iran’s willingness to keep fighting

Foreign Minister Araghchi indicated that Tehran will continue fighting, no matter what Trump throws at them.

Trump’s April 6 deadline for the Strait of Hormuz to open still stands, otherwise he threatened to hit power plants.

“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” Araghchi said, as he dismissed the idea that the U.S. would launch a ground war in Iran.

“I do not think they would dare to do such a thing,” he said. “Very heavy casualties would await them.”

He acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, but clarified that they have not been in official negotiations.

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“We do not have any faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results,” he said during an interview with broadcaster Al Jazeera. “The trust level is at zero.”

Asked about a possible ground offensive by the U.S., Araghchi said “we are waiting for them.”

“We know very well how to defend ourselves,” Araghchi reportedly told the Qatar-based broadcaster. “In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake.”

Iran supreme leader pledges support for anti-Israeli forces

Iran’s supreme leader vowed that his nation will continue to support anti-Israeli forces in the Mideast.

An anchor relayed Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s message to Hezbollah on state television: “I firmly declare that the consistent policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in continuing the path of the late Imam and martyred leader, is based on continuing to support the resistance against the Zionist-American enemy.”

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Khamenei has not been seen since the war began; U.S. and Israeli officials believe he was wounded at some point and is why he remains in hiding.

Starmer says U.K. committed to NATO after Trump criticism

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain is “fully committed to NATO,” calling it “the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.”

And perhaps U.S. allies took Trump’s words to heart as the U.K. will host an international diplomatic conference this week to work together on restoring maritime security to the key oil transport route.

Iranian drone attack starts fire at Kuwait airport

A drone attack by Iran and its allies hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a “large fire,” authorities said.

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There were no immediate injuries from the attack and firefighters were working to control the blaze.

Israel strikes factory in Iran it claims supplies fentanyl for chemical weapons

Israel said it struck a plant supplying Iran’s theocracy with fentanyl for an alleged chemical weapons program.

Iran acknowledged the strike on Tofigh Daru factory, but insisted it only supplied “hospital drugs” used in medical operations.

Both Israel and the United States have warned in recent years that Iran was experimenting with the powerful synthetic opioid in munitions.

Drone attack hits Iraq fuel warehouse

Multiple drones attacked a fuel warehouse in northern Iraq, according to a firm operating the facility, which is owned by Castrol, a subsidiary of British oil and natural gas giant BP.

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No casualties were reported.

Lebanese military backs out of border towns

The Lebanese military said its forces have withdrawn from some border towns as Israeli troops continue to push a ground invasion into the country.

They said they would maintain soldiers in the Christian-majority communities Rmeich and Ain Ebel after remaining residents appealed to the Lebanese military and leadership to stay. More than one million people in Lebanon have been displaced over the past month.

Iranian cruise missile strikes oil tanker off Qatar

An oil tanker contracted to Qatar was struck by an Iranian cruise missile, while two other missiles were intercepted, authorities said.

The tanker’s 21-member crew was evacuated, and no casualties were reported. There was no environmental impact from the attack.

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Houthis fire missile barrage toward Israel

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen said they fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward “sensitive targets” in southern Israel, resulting in air raid sirens going off in the early morning hours.

There were no immediate reports of impacts.

It marks the third attack since the Houthis joined the war on Friday.

Their entry has raised concerns that they could resume attacks on vessels in the Red Sea further disrupting the global shipping industry and sending oil prices much higher.

Oil falls below $100 per barrel

Oil fell below $100 per barrel and Asian shares jumped Wednesday over renewed optimism about a de-escalation of the Iran war.

Brent crude, the international standard, was down 4.7% to $99.05 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 4% to $97.33 a barrel.

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But analysts say the price of groceries will likely soar if the war continues, when the high fuel costs trickle into businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is urging its citizens to use public transport to conserve fuel, noting that “the months ahead may not be easy.”

Meanwhile, South Korea has implemented a limited car policy for public employees, requiring them to alternate car use every other day starting next week.

The measure comes as officials raised the alert level over crude oil supplies, citing concerns about a prolonged crisis in the Middle East.

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