Washington/Tehran: The United States and Iran showed no signs of progress toward ending their war on Saturday, following tit-for-tat attacks in the Gulf under a fragile ceasefire, as a US intelligence report concluded Tehran could endure a naval blockade for months, Reuters reported.
The last few days brought the fiercest clashes around the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire took hold a month back, with the United Arab Emirates facing fresh strikes on Friday.
Washington awaits Tehran’s reply to a US proposal that would officially conclude the war before negotiations on thornier matters like Iran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking in Rome on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was expecting a response that day, although an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response.
Strait Skirmishes Strain Truce
Iran’s Fars news agency, a semi-official outlet, disclosed persistent intermittent firefights on Friday pitting Iranian troops against American ships within the Strait of Hormuz. Tasnim news agency subsequently referenced an Iranian military official who noted de-escalation but flagged the risk of renewed hostilities.
America’s armed forces confirmed they hit two boats affiliated with Iran heading toward an Iranian harbor, as a fighter plane damaged their exhaust stacks and drove them away.
Since hostilities began following the US-Israeli strikes across Iran on February 28, Tehran has mostly sealed off the strait to foreign-flagged vessels. The corridor previously carried 20% of worldwide petroleum shipments.
Washington imposed a naval blockade targeting Iranian ships last month. Still, a CIA analysis — cited by a US official with firsthand access — estimated Iran could endure major economic fallout from a US port blockade for another four months or so, weakening President Donald Trump’s grip on Tehran during a war that’s widely unpopular among Americans and their allies.
One top intelligence oficial branded the “claims” surrounding that CIA report untrue; the Washington Post broke the story first.
The violence stretched well beyond the Strait’s boundaries. On Friday, UAE air defenses successfully intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones fired from Iran, resulting in three people sustaining moderate injuries.
Tehran routinely strikes the UAE and fellow Gulf countries harbouring US troops. The UAE described this week’s intensified barrages as a serious escalation, set off by Trump’s “Project Freedom” initiative to convoy ships through the strait—an operation he suspended after 48 hours.
On Thursday, Trump insisted the April 7 ceasefire endured regardless of outbursts, countering Iran’s assertion of US transgressions.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday. According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, a US Navy assault late Thursday on an Iranian merchant ship left one sailor dead, 10 hurt, and six unaccounted for.
Dual Track Of Dialogue & Sanctions
Global solidarity has eluded Washington in this standoff. Post-huddle with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Secretary of State Marco Rubio challenged why Rome and other partners shunned America’s campaign to unblock the strait, decrying the fallout should Iran dictate terms over this vital sea lane.
Diplomacy notwithstanding, the US has dialed up penalties against Iran.
Meanwhile, just prior to Trump’s China visit and summit with Xi Jinping, the Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and companies — several in China and Hong Kong — for helping Iran’s military procure weapons and materials needed to manufacture Shahed drones.
In its release, Treasury vowed readiness to punish overseas firms fueling Iran’s black-market trade, plus potential follow-on measures against banks tied to China’s teapot refineries.
