US President Donald Trump has said that talks aimed at ending the major conflict with Iran are continuing, adding: “We are getting closer and closer every day.”
The US said it expects a response from Iran today regarding its latest proposal to end the war in the Gulf, despite clashes between American and Iranian forces in the Gulf and a new attack targeting the UAE.
Recent days have witnessed one of the largest escalations in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire that came into effect last month, even as both Washington and Tehran signalled that they were closer than ever to reaching an agreement that could bring the war to an end.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome: “We are supposed to receive something today. We expect a response from them, and we will see what it contains. I hope this response will be a step leading to serious negotiations.”
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran was still preparing its response.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that sporadic clashes took place yesterday between Iranian armed forces and American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency later quoted an Iranian military source as saying that ‘the situation has calmed down’, but warned of the possibility of further clashes ‘if the Americans attempt to enter the Gulf again and cause problems for Iranian vessels’.
The US military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, with a US fighter jet hitting their smokestacks and forcing them to turn back.
Iran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the strait since the war began, while the US last month imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels.
Oil prices rose, with Brent crude futures above $101 a barrel, though still down more than six per cent for the week, as traders weighed clashes against reports of diplomatic progress.
Iran accused the US of breaching the ceasefire, which had largely held since it was announced on April 7.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said yesterday.
The latest US proposal would formally end the conflict first, before addressing Washington’s core demands, including curbing Iran’s nuclear programme and reopening the strait. Tehran, which made a similar proposal last week, said it had not yet reached a decision on the plan.
Trump said Tehran had acknowledged his demand that it should never have a nuclear weapon, a prohibition he said was implicit in the US proposal.
“There’s zero chance. And they know that, and they’ve agreed to that. Let’s see if they are willing to sign it,” Trump said.
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