US awaiting response from Iran over proposals for ceasefire deal, says Rubio | US-Israel war on Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected a response from Iran on Friday to Washington’s offer of an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as the country accuses the United States of violating an increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.

In recent days, conflicts in and around the disputed Strait of Hormuz have seen their biggest flare-up since the start of an unofficial ceasefire. The increase in violence followed Donald Trump’s announcement – followed by a quick pause – of a new naval mission aimed at opening the strategic waterway.

The US army opened fire and neutralized two Iranian-flagged tankers that tried to violate the blockade imposed by the US on Iranian ports on Friday. in question.

Despite the conflict, diplomatic efforts continue; Pakistan offering a brief memorandum of understanding to Iran could provide the basis for a more solid ceasefire that would allow for new U.S. talks, mediators said.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday evening, Trump said he expected a response from Iran soon. “I think I’ll get a letter tonight,” he said. Asked whether Iran deliberately slowed down the negotiation process, he replied: “We will find out soon.”

During a visit to Rome, Rubio said: “We expect a response from them at some point today… I hope this is a serious offer, it really is… I hope it’s something that can get us into a serious negotiation process.”

There have been wild swings from hope to despair in recent days as the United States and Iran test each other’s endurance and willpower, trying to gain leverage in any talks through combative rhetoric, defiance and occasional violence.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of breaking the ceasefire in a post on X on Friday: “Whenever a diplomatic solution is on the table, the United States prefers a reckless military adventure.”

Araghchi also boasted that Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles and launch pad capacity were not only repaired and restocked during the pause in hostilities, but also expanded.

Control of the strait and the threat of renewed attacks on the oil of nearby countries and other infrastructure in the Gulf are two main cards that Iran can play in the negotiations. To put pressure on Tehran, the US blockaded Iran and stopped all Iranian-linked ships trying to leave the Gulf.

The elimination of Iran’s missile arsenal and production facilities has been mentioned repeatedly. The main goal of US officials at the beginning of the war. Restricting these will also likely be a request during any negotiations.

An Iranian official said on Friday that an Iranian cargo ship was hit, 10 sailors were injured and five were missing in US attacks in and near the Strait of Hormuz overnight. It is not yet clear whether the ship was directly targeted.

US Central Command said that Iranian forces launched missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and small boats at three US warships during the night, but none were hit, while US forces eliminated the incoming threat and retaliated against land bases in Iran.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said on Friday that Iran had responded to another missile bombardment. The UAE defense ministry said three people were injured when its air defenses clashed with two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was unclear whether all of them had been successfully captured. Authorities told people to stay away from falling debris.

Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones into the UAE during the war, frequently hitting civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities and oil facilities. luxury hotels.

Trump said on Thursday that the ceasefire remained in place, but hopes earlier this week that an “interim” agreement between Tehran and Washington could be reached before the US president travels to China next week now appear premature.

Earlier Friday, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against individuals and companies it accuses of aiding Iran’s war effort, including on China and Hong Kong. The new sanctions come just days before Trump arrives in Beijing.

The US president minimized the clashes and called Thursday’s attacks “just a touch of love” but reiterated his threat to launch a major new attack against Iran unless a deal is reached soon.

The US offer is believed to propose a formal ceasefire of at least 60 days, which would lead to talks to resolve controversial issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme. “They need to understand: If it’s not signed, they’re going to suffer a lot,” Trump told reporters in Washington.

Despite skepticism from many observers, even the prospect of a partial agreement that could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz sent global stocks soaring to near-record levels on Thursday as oil prices plummeted. On Friday, the barrel price of Brent crude oil started to rise once again.

In normal times, the strait carries one fifth of the world’s oil and fossil gas resources. The shutdown in the early days of the war caused fuel prices to soar around the world and threatened a global recession.

Pakistani officials have expressed optimism about a potential deal in recent days. Islamabad hosted a series of unsuccessful face-to-face talks last month.

On Monday, the US military said it destroyed six small Iranian boats, as well as cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, after Trump sent warships to guide tankers stranded in the waterway.

Two of the hundreds of stranded ships are believed to have passed through the strait under the protection of the US Navy, but this effort, called “Project Freedom”, was shelved after about 48 hours, probably as a result of complaints from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Trump claimed he paused this to ensure negotiations had a better chance of success.

In Washington on Friday, Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with JD Vance to discuss Pakistan-led mediation efforts to end the conflict. Qatar’s foreign ministry said during the meeting that it “stressed that it is necessary for all parties to participate in ongoing mediation efforts to pave the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue and to reach a comprehensive agreement that will ensure lasting peace in the region.”

Analysts say Iranian leaders are divided on whether to start or continue new talks with the United States, despite the massive and ongoing economic losses caused by the war and the U.S. blockade.

Senior Iranian officials have publicly rejected concessions in recent days. Some appear to be in favor of moving the talks closer to the US midterm elections in November, when the Trump administration will be under intense pressure to resolve the war and Iran could reach a better deal.

However, regional diplomats believe that Iran may overplay its hand as the opportunity to end the war and declare victory exists; This may be more difficult if all-out conflict continues. Without a deal, Washington could unilaterally end the war and leave Iran under stifling economic sanctions, officials said.

Any agreement between the United States and Iran could also help ease tensions in Lebanon, where Israel has threatened a separate ceasefire over Wednesday’s attack on South Beirut that killed a commander from the Iran-backed Islamist militant movement Hezbollah. The United States announced Friday that it will mediate two days of “intensive talks” between Israel and Lebanon next week.

Israel killed four people, including two women, in the southern Lebanon town of Toura on Friday, the health ministry said. According to the Israeli army, air raid sirens went off in many cities in northern Israel following the bombardment from Lebanon.