A senior Iranian parliament official said on Thursday that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in its war with the United States and Israel.

"The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account," said deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei, according to Tasnim news agency.

China's role as an unofficial mediator in the latest war in the Middle East is drawing attention across the world as it seeks to project the image of being a responsible global power while U.S. actions are straining its long-standing alliances.

China's profile in international diplomacy has risen in recent years, thanks to active efforts from its diplomats. Long reluctant to get involved in conflicts far from its borders, it has nevertheless emerged as a major player with attempts to mediate conflicts from Southeast Asia to Europe.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran had halted alleged plans to execute eight women arrested over anti-government protests, after he urged Tehran to release them to help peace negotiations.

The Israeli military said it intercepted around 40 Israeli civilians that attempted to enter Syria on Wednesday afternoon.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard attacked a third ship Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported.

Nour News, Fars and Mehr all reported the attack by the Guard on a vessel called the Euphoria. They said the vessel had become “stranded” on the Iranian coast, without elaborating.

Iran fired on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, damaging the vessel and complicating efforts to bring the United States and Iran together in Pakistan for talks to end the war.

The morning attack by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran, which had been due to expire on Wednesday, to give Tehran time to come up with a "unified proposal" ahead of possible negotiations.

President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks, with Tehran silent on the decision early Wednesday.

Trump indefinitely pushed back the end of the two week truce, crediting a request from mediator Pakistan and stressing the need to give Iran's "fractured" leadership time to form a proposal. But he said the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports -- a sticking point for Tehran -- would continue.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday threatened to end oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic republic faced attacks launched from its Gulf neighbors' territory.

Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday the Islamic republic knew how to "resist bullying", as a ceasefire was due to expire and Tehran had yet to formally respond to an invite to talks with the U.S. in Islamabad.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of having repeatedly violated a temporary truce due to expire soon, with new peace talks mired in doubt after Tehran said it had not yet sent a delegation.