U.S. President Donald Trump has told associates in recent days that he wants to avoid a protracted war in Iran and that he hopes to bring the conflict to an end in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Pentagon is developing military options for a "final blow" in Iran that could include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign, two U.S. officials and two sources with knowledge told U.S. news portal Axios.

U.S. President Donald Trump's surprising claim this week that talks with Iran were yielding great progress has only raised more confusion over a war whose goals were already unclear. The most basic question: What talks?

A 15-point plan from the Trump administration offering a potential pathway to an exit was offered late Tuesday to Iran through Pakistan, according to a person briefed on the contours of the plan but who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Iranian state television, citing an unidentified senior official, said Wednesday that Iran had rejected a peace plan proposed by the United States to end the Middle East war.

Iran and Israel traded fresh missile and drone strikes Wednesday, with countries across the Middle East coming under fire as diplomats worked in the background to end the nearly four-week war.

Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

Iran fired cruise missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the military said in a statement carried by state television, warning of further launches when the strike group's ships come in range.

Israel's Channel 12 on Tuesday published a 15-point U.S. document that is being reportedly developed to halt the war with Iran, amid Israeli concerns that the agreement could lead to uncertain outcomes.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran gave him a "very big present" related to the Strait of Hormuz, boosting his confidence that he was talking to the right people in Tehran to end the war.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it was operating "according to an unchanged plan" in Iran and Lebanon, regardless of any talks aimed at reaching an agreement to end the hostilities.