Day 68 of Middle East conflict - Trump touts ‘very good talks’ with Iran

Source: Iran expected to respond to U.S. proposal on Thursday

Key developments

• Status of negotiations: Iran is expected to hand over its reply Thursday to mediators about the US proposal to end the war, a regional source told CNN. Earlier, President Donald Trump said the US has had “very good talks” with Iran over the past 24 hours.

• Key waterways: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is possible under “new procedures,” Iranian media reported. The US military also disabled an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman when it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port.

• In Lebanon: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted a top Hezbollah commander in the first strike in Beirut since the ceasefire in Lebanon.