Hormuz remains open, JD Vance to hold talks with Pak on Sat: White House

The White House on Wednesday said the Strait of Hormuz remains open, dismissing reports of its closure amid claims that Iran had shut the key waterway following Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

It also announced that Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Saturday for the first round of talks as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Speaking at a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the ceasefire as a “historically swift and successful military triumph", saying US operations had weakened Iran’s military capabilities.

She rejected Iran’s 10-point proposal, calling it “fundamentally unserious, unacceptable, and completely discarded.”

 

“Iran's 10-point proposal was discarded, literally thrown in the garbage… the regime acknowledged reality… and put forward a more reasonable and condensed plan,” she said, adding that President Donald Trump's "red lines on uranium enrichment" remain unchanged.

President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that there was “only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States,” adding that details would be discussed privately during negotiations over the next two weeks.

Ahead of the press briefing, a White House official was quoted by The New York Times as saying that Iran’s publicly released plan differed from what President Trump had earlier described as a “workable basis” for talks.

Responding to a question, Leavitt said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire agreement, a position also echoed by Israel, which has continued strikes against Hezbollah.  Netanyahu, in a televised address delivered at the same time as Leavitt was speaking, reiterated that the truce with Iran does not include a ceasefire with Hezbollah and that strikes on the group will continue.

The comments came as Israeli strikes across Lebanon left at least 254 people dead and more than 1,165 injured, according to the country’s civil defence authorities. The highest toll was recorded in Beirut, where 91 people were killed.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned of a response if attacks in Lebanon do not stop.

In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the terms of the Iran–US ceasefire were “clear,” adding that Washington must choose between a ceasefire and continued military action through Israel.

“The world is watching,” he said.