By MICHELLE L. PRICE and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
President Donald Trump says the only reason the Iranians are alive today "is to negotiate," as he sends Vice President JD Vance overseas to work on a resolution to the war. Vance is warning Iran not to "play" the U.S. as he heads to Pakistan for talks aimed at ending the 6-week-old conflict. The Republican vice president set off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Vance says he's "looking forward to the negotiation" and thinks it'll be positive. Vance's trip comes as a temporary ceasefire appears to be on the precipice of collapsing.
By VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. He made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.
By JON GAMBRELL, SAMY MAGDY, BASSEM MROUE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
President Donald Trump has expanded his threat against Iran to include all power plants and bridges as his Tuesday ultimatum approaches. This comes after Tehran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, demanding a permanent end to the war. Trump insists that Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping traffic. Israel has increased pressure by attacking a major petrochemical plant and killing key Iranian commanders.Asked if he was concerned about accusations of war crimes, Trump responded, "No, not at all." Negotiations continue with mediators from Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey attempting to broker a ceasefire.
Russia's Defense Ministry claims its forces have taken control of the entire Luhansk region in Ukraine. However, a Ukrainian military official denies this, stating that small areas are still held by Ukrainian forces. Russia has previously made false claims of advances. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing for talks with U.S. envoys trying to mediate an end to the conflict. A Russian drone strike killed four people in Ukraine's Cherkasy region on Wednesday. Ukraine's air force says it downed 298 drones in overnight attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a Ukrainian delegation is set to meet on Thursday with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys ahead of another round of trilateral talks with Russia. Zelenskyy told reporters on Wednesday that Ukraine's negotiator Rustem Umerov will hold talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva. A round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held on the same day in the Swiss city.
Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv have met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered talks to end the nearly four-year war. The discussions on Wednesday came as Russian cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. The talks include U.S. officials and aim to address key issues. But previous negotiations last month yielded no breakthroughs. The meeting also coincides with the expiry of the last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States. Moscow has continued to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure that has caused widespread damage. Ukrainian officials have expressed outrage. And repair crews are working to restore power amid freezing temperatures.
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
The White House says talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials are still planned after a Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command said Tuesday the drone "aggressively approached" the aircraft carrier and kept flying toward it "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces." The U.S. military says the shootdown occurred within hours of another incident in which Iranian forces harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's president says he's instructed his foreign minister to pursue fair negotiations with the U.S. The White House says President Donald Trump wants to "pursue diplomacy first."
Iran says it has had summoned all of the European Union ambassadors in the country to protest the bloc's listing of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists on Monday that the ambassadors had been summoned the previous day. The EU listed the Guard as a terror group last week over its part in the crackdown on nationwide protests in January. The move is largely symbolic. But it does add to the economic pressure squeezing Iran.
Iran has reached out to Middle Eastern countries over the threat of a possible U.S. military strike. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. The United States has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln into the region and President Donald Trump has urged Iran to negotiate. A month has passed since protests in Iran began over the economy and grew to challenge the theocracy. They led to a bloody crackdown, and activists say at least 6,301 people were killed. Meanwhile, Iran's currency on Wednesday reached a new low.
By KAMILA HRABCHUK and KOSTYA MANENKOV Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the future of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region is a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi. Friday's talks are the latest aiming to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion. It's the first known time officials from Trump's administration simultaneously meet with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators. The Kremlin insists Kyiv must withdraw its troops from areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed. Zelenskyy reiterated his openness to a free trade zone under Ukraine's control in the east.
