Tehran (AFP) – A US warplane disabled two Iranian tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, after Washington’s top diplomat said he was awaiting Tehran’s response to the latest proposed deal to end the Gulf conflict. US Central Command reported that an F/A-18 Super Hornet had used precision munitions on the two ships to prevent them from continuing to Iran, as Iranian media reported “sporadic clashes” with US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest incidents came after an overnight exchange of fire that triggered fears of a breakdown in the Gulf ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome that Washington hoped to receive Tehran’s answer to the US proposal later on Friday. Rubio stated that Iran must not control the Strait of Hormuz, where the flare-ups took place, but added: “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point…I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do.” Washington has sent Iran, via Pakistani mediators, a proposal to extend the truce in the Gulf to allow talks on a final settlement of the conflict that began 10 weeks ago with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, stated on Friday that the proposal was still “under review,” and once a final decision is reached, it would certainly be announced, according to the ISNA news agency. Meanwhile, two Saudi sources told AFP that the kingdom had refused to allow the US military to use its airspace or bases for an operation to force open a passage for commercial shipping in the strategic strait.
The night before, US Central Command said Iran had launched missiles, drones, and small boats at three US warships transiting the Hormuz, but that none were hit. American forces had destroyed the incoming threats and retaliated against land bases in Iran. Iran’s central military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, countered that the clash had erupted when US vessels targeted an Iranian tanker heading towards the strait and accused its foe of hitting civilian areas.
The strikes hit Bandar Khamir and Sirik—cities on the Iranian side of the strait—as well as Qeshm island. Khatam al-Anbiya alleged that the attack was carried out with the cooperation of “some regional countries.” Baqaei accused the US of a “blatant violation of international law and a breach of the ceasefire,” but claimed that Iranian forces had “delivered a ‘major slap’ to the enemy.”
When asked in Washington on Thursday if the ceasefire with Iran was still in effect after the clash, US President Donald Trump responded, “Yeah, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away.” Iran did not name the regional US allies it accused of cooperating with the strikes, though the United Arab Emirates stated that it had been forced to intercept a volley of Iranian drones and missiles.
In a statement, the Emirates’ defense ministry reported, “The UAE air defense systems engaged two ballistic missiles and three UAVs launched from Iran, resulting in three moderate injuries.” Following the start of the war on February 28, Iran had largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to impose its own blockade of Iranian ports. On Sunday, Trump announced “Project Freedom,” a US naval operation designed to reopen the strait to commercial shipping, only to abandon it on Tuesday in favor of a return to negotiations.
On Friday, Saudi sources confirmed to AFP, supporting US media reports, that the kingdom had refused permission for the US military to utilize its bases and airspace for the Hormuz operation. “Saudi Arabia was against the operation because it felt it would just escalate the situation and would not work,” one source remarked.
This week, Tehran established an authority to approve transit through the Strait of Hormuz and to collect tolls from vessels, according to Lloyd’s List, a leading shipping industry journal. Approximately 1,500 ships and 20,000 international crew members are now trapped in the Gulf region due to the conflict, according to the UN International Maritime Organization. US Central Command noted on Friday that its forces are preventing 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
World markets had perked up and oil prices fell earlier this week on hopes that the Pakistani-mediated peace process would extend the US-Iran ceasefire initiated on April 8 and lead to a negotiated accord to resolve the conflict. However, stock markets plummeted again on Friday after the exchange of hostilities in Hormuz, which fueled fears that renewed fighting could delay or derail the reopening of the key maritime trade route.
© 2024 AFP
