The U.S. said it expects an Iranian response to its latest proposal to end the war in the Gulf, even as forces renewed attacks on Friday.
WASHINGTON — The United States said on Friday it expected an Iranian response as soon as later in the day to its latest proposal to end the war in the Gulf, even as U.S. and Iranian forces clashed in the Gulf and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack.
Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the contested Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago, even as the United States and Iran have indicated they are closer than ever to a deal to end the war.
"We should know something today," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome on Friday. "We're expecting a response from them. We'll see what the response entails. The hope is it's something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.
"President Donald Trump said a ceasefire was still holding despite the flare-up. Washington is awaiting Tehran's response to a U.S. proposal, which would formally end the war first, before talks to resolve the most contentious issues, such as the fate of Iran's nuclear program. Mehr news agency reported that explosions were heard in Iran's Sirik near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
It said 10 crew members were injured and five were missing from an Iranian commercial ship attacked late on Thursday by the U.S. Navy in waters near the strait, the vital conduit for global energy supplies that Tehran has all but closed since the war began. Trump said three U.S. Navy destroyers had been attacked as they moved through the strait, and the U.S. military had fired back.
"Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He later told reporters the ceasefire remained in effect and played down the exchange.
"They trifled with us today. We blew them away," Trump said in Washington. Iran accuses US of breaching truceIran accused the United States of breaching the ceasefire, which had largely held since it was announced on April 7 but has come under far bigger strain this week since Trump announced — and then paused — a new naval mission in the strait.
"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday. Iran's top joint military command said U.S. forces had targeted an Iranian oil tanker and
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