President Donald Trump says he is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposed agreement aimed at ending the conflict, as new military clashes between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz threaten a fragile ceasefire.
Sporadic fighting broke out between Iranian armed forces and American vessels, according to Iran’s semi-official Fores News Agency. The violence followed a U.S. airstrike on Friday: a fighter jet disabled at least two Iranian-flag tankers. U.S. Central Command confirmed that an F-18 Super Hornet used precision munitions against the ships in the Gulf of Oman, identified as the Sea Star 3 and Sevda.
An Iranian military official told local media that the navy had retaliated for what it described as “American terrorism and strikes” and a violation of the ceasefire. The official said the clashes have now ceased.
As tensions persist, satellite imagery shows an oil slick spreading off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island, a vital oil export terminal. The apparent spill now covers more than 52 square kilometers; its cause remains unknown. Kharg Island lies north of the Strait of Hormuz and is central to Iran’s battered oil-dependent economy.
The war began on February 28th, after which Iran closed the strait, roiling global markets and driving up oil prices. An Iranian official recently compared the strategic waterway to an atomic bomb, saying: “For years we neglected this advantage. In reality, it is a capability on the level of an atomic bomb. When you hold a position from which a single decision can affect the entire global economy, that is an extremely great capability. What we have gained through this war, we will by no means give up.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Rome on Friday, called Iran’s control of the oil conduit unacceptable. “Well, we should know something today,” Rubio said. “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.”
Later at the White House, President Trump added: “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.”
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Friday to discuss efforts to broker a permanent peace. Iran has repeatedly attacked sites in Qatar during the war, citing the emirate’s role as host of a major U.S. air base.