The indefinite truce between Iran and the United States, announced on Tuesday by President Donald Trump, remains fragile after the capture of at least five ships since then in the region, three intercepted by Tehran and two by Washington. The naval blockade imposed by the Pentagon on Iranian ports, which overlaps with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Revolutionary Guard, is making a second round of peace talks impossible, as the Iranian regime considers it an “act of war” that violates the terms of the agreement. Financial markets breathed a sigh of relief when Trump extended the ceasefire just hours before it expired, but have stabilized, cautious because peace still seems distant.

While the tug of war continues in the peace negotiation between Washington and Tehran, the United States Central Command (Centcom) reported Monday afternoon that the US military opened fire again and “carried out self-defense attacks in southeastern Iran.”

Volodímir Zelenski accused Russia on Friday of deliberately attacking the civilian population after two Russian drones struck a shopping center in broad daylight in Kriví Rih, the hometown of the Ukrainian president. The attack killed at least 14 people and injured another 121, including 22 children. In a message on social media, Zelenski described the action as an “absolutely cynical and cowardly strike.”