A cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz reports being attacked as Iran makes new peace proposal
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A cargo ship near Dubai Strait of Hormuz The British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center said in a statement on Sunday that it had been reported to be attacked by a large number of small ships, adding that at least two dozen attacks had occurred in and around the strait. Iran war to start.
The monitor said all crew on the unidentified northbound ship were safe after the attack off Iran’s Sirik in the east of the strait. Iranian officials claimed that they were under control of the strait and that ships that were not affiliated with the United States or Israel could pass through it. pay a fee.
The watchdog did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which was the first reported attack in the area since April 22, when a cargo ship was reported fired upon. The threat level in the region remains critical. Tehran effectively closed the strait by attacking and threatening ships.
Iranian patrol boats, some powered only by twin outboard engines, are small, agile and difficult to detect and have attacked many ships. Minister Donald Trump Last month he issued the following order to the US military: “Shoot and kill” small Iranian boats Those who laid mines in the Bosphorus.
Fragile three week ceasefire appears to be holding on, but Trump told reporters Saturday that the possibility of more attacks remains.
Iran made a new offer to the USA that wants to end the war
According to Iran’s state-linked media, Iran’s latest offer to the US calls for the problems between them to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extending the ceasefire.
On Saturday, Trump said he was reviewing the offer but expressed doubt that it would lead to a deal, adding on social media that “they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity and the Earth over the last 47 years” since the Islamic Revolution.
Iran’s 14-point proposal also calls for the United States to lift sanctions against Iran, end the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw its forces from the region and end all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News and Tasnim news agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security organizations.
However, these reports mention Iran’s nuclear program and its enriched uraniumIt has long been the main issue of tension with the United States and one that Tehran would prefer to address later.
Iran sent its reply Pakistan, which hosted face-to-face meetings last month Between Iran and the USA.
Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister and army chief continue to encourage the United States and Iran to talk directly, according to two officials in Pakistan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw the previous round of talks before the war.
Iran is determined on the Strait of Hormuz
Trump made an offer plan Along with much-needed fertilizer for farmers around the world, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade passes.
After the USA and Israel started a war on February 28, Iran’s pressure on the Strait shook global markets.
Iran’s deputy speaker of parliament said on Sunday that Tehran “will not step back from its stance on the Strait of Hormuz and return to pre-war conditions.” Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in parliament, spoke while visiting port facilities on the strategic Larak Island.
The US has warned shipping companies that they could face sanctions if they pay Iran in any form, including digital assets, to safely cross the strait.
Meanwhile, the naval blockade imposed by the USA since April 13 deprives Tehran of the oil revenue it needs. support its struggling economy. U.S. Central Command said Saturday that 48 merchant ships were told to return.
“We think they made less than $1.3 million in tolls, which is a fraction of their previous daily oil revenue,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday. He said Iran’s oil tanks were filling up quickly and “they will have to start shutting down the wells, we think that could happen next week.”
Iranian currency continues to lose value
The rial weakened further against the US dollar on Sunday, the second day of the Iranian working week. On Tehran’s Ferdowsi Street, the capital’s main foreign exchange centre, the dollar was trading at 1,840,000 riyals.
Analysts say there is a situation like this: There is a strong possibility that the currency will slide further.
The rial is traded on: 1.3 million to the dollar in December, was at a record low at the time and triggered widespread protests on the worsening economy. Markets in Tehran remain unstable and prices of some goods are increasing every day.
According to Iranian media reports, after the Iranian New Year in March, many factories did not renew their workers’ contracts and a significant number of factories lost their jobs.
Yousef Pezeshkian, son and advisor to President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote on Telegram that both the United States and Iran see themselves as the winners of the war and do not want to back down.
Nobel committee calls for treatment for Iranian academician
The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Saturday called on Iran to immediately transfer the detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Muhammadi After his health seriously deteriorated, he was treated by the medical team in Tehran.
The committee said it was in contact with Mohammedi’s family and lawyer and that the 2023 laureate’s life was at risk.
The rights lawyer collapsed twice in prison in the northwestern city of Zanjan on Friday and was taken to a local hospital, his foundation said. His lawyers said he is believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March.
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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
