Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, has summed up where things stand: "Since the ceasefire came into effect, both Washington and Tehran appear to be operating under the illusion that time is on their side," he said. "Each seems to believe that the blockade and counter-blockade in the Strait of Hormuz impose greater costs on the other, while offering a breathing space to regroup for a possible resumption of hostilities," Vaez told Al Jazeera.On Wednesday Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a fresh warning amid this ongoing standoff, warning that the Middle East war will extend beyond the region if the United States and Israel resume their attacks.via Shutterstock"If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will this time spread far beyond the region, and our devastating blows will crush you," the IRGC say in the statement published to their website Sepah News.The warring sides are no closer to getting back to the negotiating table, after President Trump has given just a few 'days' to comply on the nuclear issue, which so far Tehran has not budged on.But in the meantime Iran still sees American guarantees as "insufficient" regarding a renewed war, Al Arabiya reports Wednesday. The Supreme Leader, who is still in hiding and believed to be recovering from serious injuries that resulted from prior airstrikes, has issued a fresh written message to the public:Mojtaba Khamenei has commemorated the second anniversary of the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, saying the country is putting up a “unique historical resistance against two global terrorist armies” in Israel and the US, the Fars News Agency reports. In another written statement, Khamenei said the war was making the burden on officials “heavier than before”, adding that he was grateful for the “unity of the nation”.In the Strait of Hormuz, there's been a continued trickle of tankers making it through, reportedly after Beijing asked:Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be ​resolved after positive comments from the US president and his deputy.President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the war would be over “very quickly” while Vice President JD Vance talked up progress in talks with Tehran about an agreement to end hostilities.🚨 Two Chinese VLCCs carrying 4 mb of Iraqi oil have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now heading straight for the US blockade. If they’re allowed to pass, it means Trump and Xi have quietly agreed to let it happen.