China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to make efforts to restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Wang said while Iran's sovereignty and security in the Strait of Hormuz should be respected and safeguarded, freedom and safety of navigation through the waterway should also be guaranteed.

There is unanimous interest in opening the strait, he said.

China supports maintaining the ceasefire and resuming negotiations, Wang added.

Nicholas Watt
Political editor, BBC Newsnight

The UK could face some food shortages by the summer under a worst-case scenario of the Middle East conflict drawn up by government officials.

Staple items such as chicken and pork could run low amid fears that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could reduce domestic supplies of carbon dioxide. This is used in the slaughter of some animals and in food preservation.

BBC Newsnight has been told by a senior government source that this is planning for the worst-case scenario "where everything went wrong". That would involve the closure of the Strait of Hormuz into the summer and breakdowns in the domestic supply of carbon dioxide.

The source stressed that the planning was for a worst-case scenario and not a prediction of what will happen. The planning did not suggest there would be a lack of critical supplies of food.

The planning by government officials was first reported by the Times. This report has been confirmed by BBC Newsnight.

We're resuming our coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump says that the leaders of Lebanon and Israel will hold talks "tomorrow" – likely Thursday – for the first time in decades.

Trump posted the following statement on Truth Social shortly before midnight on Wednesday in Washington DC:

"Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice! President DJT".

It comes after Lebanon and Israel held their first diplomatic talks in over three decades earlier this week, a rare encounter aimed at ending fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Jack Grey
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The White House says the US remains "engaged" in "productive and ongoing" discussion with Iran, while a US blockade of all ships entering or exiting Iranian ports remains in place.

Here are the key developments from across the day:

US-Iran talks

• The White House has denied reports that the US formally requested to extend the two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran
• Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US "feels good" about the prospect of a deal, but says no date has been set for further negotiations
• Meanwhile in Iran, a delegation from Pakistan - which has acted as a mediator in US-Iranian talks - arrived in Tehran for further discussion with the Iranian regime

US blockade

• The US-enforced blockade of any vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports remains in place, with the White House saying it is now "fully implemented" and providing no indication of how long it will remain
• US Central Command reported that no ships have got through blockade since it came into force, adding that ten vessels had complied with orders to return to Iran
• BBC Verify has identified several ships in the region turning off their trackers, having their signal jammed, or “spoofing” them in attempt to hide their location

Israel-Hezbollah conflict

• Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued in Lebanon, with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Eyal Zamir describing all of southern Lebanon below the Litani River as a "killing area" for Hezbollah

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation is "prepared for any scenario" with regards to the war, adding that Israel's goals remain aligned with those of the US
• It follows talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, which Lebanon said were "productive" and which Israel said showed both nations were on the "same side of the equation"

We're pausing our live coverage for the moment. For more on the war, read our our chief international correspondent's latest dispatch from Iran: Under fragile ceasefire, Iranians wonder if US deal can be done.

Image source, Reuters

Iran's Parliamentary Speaker, Bagher Ghalibaf, says the US "must comply" with a ceasefire agreement that includes Lebanon.

In a statement posted on X, he says the completion of a "comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon" will be down the the "steadfast struggle" of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group based in Lebanon.

He says Iran and the "Axis of Resistance" - a term for Iran-backed groups in the region, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen's Houthis and Iraqi Shia militias - are "one soul, both in war and in ceasefire".

"American should withdraw from 'Israel First' mistake," Ghalibaf concludes.

Image source, Reuters

A White House representative has told congress that the administration is "still working" on the financial cost of the war with Iran.

White House budget director Russell Vought was appearing before congress to ​discuss President Trump's proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, which includes $1.5 trillion (£1.1tn) for defence spending.

Vought is asked by Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar how much the White House will be asking for to fund the war in Iran, referencing reports that place that figure at about $100bn.

"We're not ready to come to you with a request, we're still working on it.," replies Vought.

Asked if he has a ballpark figure, Vought says he does not. Asked if the figure is higher than $50bn, Vought reiterates: "I don't have a ballpark for you".

The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner explains how the world's second-largest economy fits into the Gulf conflict.

For one, China is the biggest customer of Iran's oil, making the US blockade of Iran's ports a major flashpoint at the moment.

Watch below for his full analysis:

Image source, CENTCOM

US Central Command (Centcom) says it intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that attempted to evade its blockade of all ships entering or exiting Iranian ports.

Centcom says the the ship was intercepted on Tuesday after departing the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

It says US Navy destroyer USS Spruance "successfully redirected the vessel", which is now returning to Iran.

Centcom adds that it has now successfully turned 10 vessels back to Iran and says none have broken through the blockade since it was implemented on Monday.

Archie Mitchell
Business reporter

US stocks reached record highs on Wednesday as investors expressed hope ongoing talks could bring about peace in the US-Israel war in Iran.

After strikes on Iran began on 28 February, the major Wall Street indexes saw sharp falls amid fears a long conflict could lead to an economic downturn.

But, with the US hailing recent peace talks as “productive”, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hit record highs.

The S&P 500 rose by 0.8% on Wednesday to sit above 7,000 points for the first time. It was at 6,878 points when the strikes began.

The Nasdaq rose by 1.6% on the day to 24,016 points, also a record and comfortably above pre-conflict levels.

Another major index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), has yet to return to its pre-war levels, and remained flat on Wednesday.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin says its chief of general staff, Eyal Zamir, "has approved plans for further fighting both in Lebanon and in Iran".

The chief of staff has also declared "all territory of southern Lebanon until Litani River line" as a "killing area for Hezbollah terrorists", he adds.

Defrin says the IDF has killed over 1,700 Hezbollah members in its military operation in Lebanon so far, and that it is "going to continue and persecute [Hezbollah] wherever they hide".

Ana Faguy
Reporting from Capitol HIll

For the fourth time, a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to wage war in Iran has failed in the US Senate, as the conflict nears its seventh week.

The war powers measure was rejected in a 52-47 vote largely along party lines. Had it passed, it would have halted US military action in Iran without congressional approval.

Democrats have said they plan to bring similar measures on a weekly basis to get lawmakers on the record about the strikes.

"If we're unsuccessful [with the votes], at least we'll make clear to the American people who owns this war," Senator Tim Kaine, of Virginia, told the BBC ahead of the vote.

Most Republicans blocked the resolution on Wednesday, but some said they would consider changing course if the war reached the 60-day mark, the deadline for congressional authorisation for continued military operations.

Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri told the BBC that the administration is currently in compliance with the war powers resolution, prompting his vote against the measure on Wednesday.

But if the administration cannot show it's drawing down on the conflict and get a 30-day extension of congressional authorisation, Hawley said that is when he wants to see the Senate vote on a war powers resolution.

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian

Iranian outlets have reported that the country has suspended exports of all petrochemical products “until further notice” to meet “domestic needs”.

Since the war began, Israel has claimed responsibility for attacks on a number of petrochemical complexes in Iran, including in Asaluyeh and Mahshahr, both in the country's south.

Iranian outlet Jamaran says facilities, such as Fajr Energy Persian Gulf in Mahshahr, and Mobin Energy and Damavand Energy in Asaluyeh have been “severely damaged”, with production halted at more than 50 petrochemical complexes across the two regions.

Products from this industry range from plastics to fertiliser, meaning the impact could affect several industries and jobs within Iran.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

The US Treasury has announced a series of new sanctions against individuals, organisations and vessels linked to Iran.

Three people, nine vessels, and 17 entities - which can mean companies or organisations - have had sanctions placed on them, according to the update on the Treasury website.

It follows an announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent a short while ago, that the US would not be renewing a waiver on sanctions that had allowed for the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil floating at sea.

Little new information from the White House on talkspublished at 19:42 BST 15 April

19:42 BST 15 April

Bernd Debusmann Jr
reporting from the White House

We've just wrapped up a briefing at the White House.

The US public learned little from that briefing with regards to the potential for future talks or a timeline for the conflict to end, with Leavitt saying only that the US remains "engaged" in the talks and that conversations are "ongoing".

Similarly, Leavitt declined to put any timeline on the US naval blockade, leaving open the possibility of an open-ended military commitment to enforce it in the long-term.

While President Trump had earlier suggested that other nations would join in the enforcement of the blockade, we heard nothing about that today, despite Leavitt saying it was now fully implemented.

Much more clear is that the White House is seeking to calm the nerves of Americans who are growing increasingly anxious that the conflict will have an impact on wallets, most notably when it comes to the petrol pump.

But while Bessent said he was "optimistic" that gas prices would fall, he provided few details as to why he believes that.

Image source, @netanyahu via X

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is "prepared for any scenario" in regards to the war in Iran and Lebanon.

In a video address, Netanyahu says that Israel is "on the verge of eliminating" a "major Hezbollah stronghold" in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon.

The prime minister confirms that he has asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to also "continue securing the security zone" in this area and to "extend it eastward".

Netanyahu also says Israel's goals in the war remain aligned with those of the United States.

"It is still too early to say how this will end or even how it will progress. In light of the possibility that the fighting may resume, we are prepared for any scenario," he says.

Image source, Reuters

We've just finished covering a briefing at the White House. While not substantively on the Iran war, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did answer a few questions on it.

Here's a look back at the key bits:

• Bessent said any movements in the price of oil would depend on how negotiations with Iran go, but added he was "optimistic" that petrol prices in the US will fall back to $3 a gallon by late September
• Plans for another round of in-person peace talks are still being discussed, and would likely be held again in Islamabad, Pakistan, Leavitt said
• The US has asked Middle East countries to freeze Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bank accounts, and will consider secondary sanctions if they don't, Bessent said
• President Xi Jinping has assured Trump that China is not supplying Iran with weapons, and Chinese banks have been warned about holding Iranian funds, Leavitt said
• The US will not be renewing temporary waivers allowing the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil, Bessent said
• Leavitt said she did not have a timeline for the duration of the ongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports

A reporter asks Leavitt how long the US navy blockade of Iranian ports will go on.

She says she will "never set timelines on behalf of the president", but notes that the operation has now been fully implemented.

The blockade is being enforced against vessels of all nations that are entering or departing Iranian ports, she says.

For vessels transiting the strait outside of the ports, US forces are supporting freedom of navigation, she adds.

The briefing concluded shortly afterwards.

We'll bring you a recap of the key points in a moment.

Image source, Reuters

Bessent says that the US government "will not be renewing the general licence on Russian oil", nor one on Iranian oil.

These were temporary waivers of sanctions that allowed for the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil that was already at sea at the time.

Bessent clarifies that those waivers were on "oil that was on the water prior to March 11th, so all that has been used".

Leavitt and Bessent are asked if Trump's threats of a 50% tariff on China are still on the table.

Leavitt says President Xi Jinping assured Trump "they are not supplying Iran" with weapons in this conflict.

Bessent says two Chinese banks got letters from the US treasury that if they can prove there is Iranian cash in their accounts the US is willing to slap secondary sanctions on those banks.

He did not identify the banks that received the letters.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says "Operation Economic Fury" is now under way, with the US putting financial pressure on Iran.

He says Iran made the mistake of bombing other nations in the Middle East, and those countries are now being "more transparent" about the Iranian funds in their banking systems.

The US has requested that those nations freeze the funds of the IRGC leadership, Bessent says.

He adds that countries are being cautioned against buying Iranian oil. If they have Iranian cash in their banks, the US will consider secondary sanctions.