US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration is in "final stages" of peace talks with Iran and is willing to wait a few days for the "right answer."

"We're in the final stages of Iran," Trump told reporters. "We'll see what happens."

"We'll either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty. But hopefully that won't happen," he added.

Trump also claimed he is in "no hurry" to finalize a peace agreement with Iran, suggesting that he would not consider making a "limited deal" only focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

"We're going to give this one shot," he said of a potential deal, ruling out the idea of a partial compromise.

Trump added that he had a "very good" phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, as Türkiye is seen as one of the key mediators during US-Iran negotiations.

Meanwhile, Iran is also assessing the latest ceasefire and tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran reviews US views

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that the exchange of messages between Iran and the US is continuing through Pakistan and Tehran is reviewing the latest US views.

In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Baghaei said messages have been exchanged on several occasions, noting that the Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's visit to Tehran on Wednesday aims to facilitate the exchange and provide clarification on draft proposals exchanged between the sides.

Baghaei said that Iran is focused on ending the conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, and has presented clear demands, including the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the US "maritime piracy" and hostile actions against Iran's shipping.

He added that Iran entered the diplomatic process with goodwill and seriousness, but views Washington with deep distrust due to its "very bad" track record over the past 18 months.

Baghaei said that Iran, in cooperation with Oman, seeks to create a mechanism to guarantee "lasting security" in the Strait of Hormuz and is ready to develop protocols for safe maritime traffic in the waterway in coordination with other coastal states.

Citing a source close to Iran's negotiation team, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that Washington has sent a new draft proposal to Tehran through Pakistan after Tehran submitted its 14-point plan.

The mediator is currently in Tehran seeking to bring the two sides' drafts closer, though nothing has been finalized, according to the source.

Also on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media platform X that Iran has consistently honored its commitments and sought to avert war.

"All paths remain open from our side. Forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion," Pezeshkian said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday warned that if the US and Israeli aggression against the country is repeated, the conflict will extend beyond the West Asia region.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a post on X that returning to war with Iran will have many more surprises for the US, citing a recent report by the US Congress that acknowledged the loss of dozens of aircraft.

Israeli forces on 'highest alert'

While the US and Iran are still exchanging messages through Pakistani mediation, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said on Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces are at the "highest level of alert."

Zamir made the remarks during a meeting with all division commanders to assess troop readiness and the progress of Israel's multi-front fighting, according to a statement issued by the military.

During the meeting, Zamir and the commanders held an "operational situational assessment" and discussed force readiness and the continuation of combat in various battlefields, the statement said.

Zamir said that the military had in recent years carried out "systematic, powerful and step-by-step strikes" against Iran and its allies, and is currently reinforcing forces in several border areas.

He added that the military needs to expand its active-duty personnel to carry out its missions and ease pressure on reservists, calling it a "critical issue" for the military's operational capacity.

IRGC: 26 ships passed through Hormuz in 24 hours

The Navy of Iran's IRGC said on Wednesday that 26 vessels, including oil tankers as well as container and commercial ships, passed through the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours in coordination with its forces.

In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the Navy noted that it ensured the security of the passing vessels.

It stressed that vessels' passage through the waterway is coordinated with and requires the permission of the IRGC's naval forces.

On the other side, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US military on Wednesday boarded and searched an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman before directing the vessel to alter course.

"Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port," the command said on X.

"American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship's crew to alter course," CENTCOM said, noting that US forces continue to fully enforce the blockade and have redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance.

Also on Wednesday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said a South Korean oil tanker safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first passage by a South Korean vessel through the waterway since the latest round of Middle East tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran began in February.

(With input from Xinhua)