- Explosions heard in Tehran -

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said Tehran was under attack on Wednesday, reporting that explosions were heard in areas of the capital's north, east and centre.

- Attacks on the Gulf -

Kuwait's civil aviation authority said Wednesday that the Gulf state's international airport had come under an Iranian drone attack that led to "a large fire" at fuel tanks.

Bahrain's interior ministry said a fire broke out at a business facility "as a result of the Iranian aggression", while Saudi Arabia said it shot down several drones.

A tanker was also hit in the waters off Qatar, a British maritime security agency said.

- Journalist kidnapped -

An American journalist was kidnapped Tuesday in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the United States said.

The State Department said it had warned the journalist of security risks and was working to ensure the American's release "as soon as possible".

The journalist was identified as Shelly Kittleson, a freelancer, by media advocacy groups as well as Al-Monitor, one of the news outlets for which she worked.

- Trump to address Americans -

US President Donald Trump will give an address to the nation on Wednesday night "to provide an important update on Iran," the White House said.

The announcement comes as the commander-in-chief said US forces would end operations in Iran "very soon", evoking a timeline of two to three weeks as his administration pursues talks while continuing its aerial campaign.

Asked about the impact of high fuel prices since the war began, Trump told reporters: "All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll come tumbling down."

- Asian markets climb on Trump comments -

Asian stocks rallied Wednesday after Trump indicated that the war may end soon.

Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 4.0 percent while benchmarks in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul all rose.

- Deadly strikes hit Beirut -

Three explosions rocked Beirut's southern suburbs early Wednesday, AFP journalists reported, as a series of Israeli strikes in the south of the Lebanese capital and a nearby area killed seven people and wounded dozens, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

The Israeli army said it struck a "senior Hezbollah commander" and another "senior" member of the Iran-backed group in Beirut.

- Pope hopes Trump will end war -

Pope Leo XIV said he hoped Trump was looking to end the war in the Middle East and called for a halt to the violence.

"I'm told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war. Hopefully he's looking for an offramp, hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing," the pope told journalists.

- Israeli strikes kill 8 in south Lebanon -

At least eight people were killed Tuesday, including a paramedic, in Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, according to the ministry of health.

The ministry said a strike in Tyre district killed three people and wounded 19 more, while another attack in Sidon district killed four. A third strike in Bint Jbeil district hit a gathering point for the Risala Scouts, a rescue organisation run by a Hezbollah ally group, killing a paramedic.

- Netanyahu vows to 'crush' Iran -

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would press ahead with its military campaign against Tehran.

"The campaign is not over," he said in a televised statement. "We will continue to crush the terror regime."

- Iran has 'will' to end war -

Iran has the "necessary will" to end the war with the United States and Israel, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, emphasising that Tehran was seeking guarantees the conflict would not flare up again.

The comment, which boosted US markets and led oil prices to fall, came after a day of heavy strikes on Iran and followed a warning from the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to retaliate against leading US tech firms such as Google from Wednesday if more Iranian leaders were killed in "targeted assassinations".

- Canada denounces 'illegal invasion' -

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced Israel's deployment of troops against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as an "illegal invasion" that violates its "integrity and sovereignty."

- Save fuel, EU says -

The EU urged member states to try to push down domestic demand for fuel in the face of surging energy prices caused by the Middle East war.

burs-mlm/jgc/ceg/ami

GOOGLE

Meta

Apple