A ceasefire to the Iran War entered its 32nd day Saturday as the U.S. awaits an Iranian response to the latest American proposal, amid heightened tensions following U.S. and Iranian strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters in recent days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was reported by Iranian media to have told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Saturday that recent U.S. strikes had deepened Iran’s doubts about the U.S.’s “motivation and seriousness” toward diplomacy.
U.S. Central Command said Friday that the U.S. Navy “disabled” two Iranian-flagged oil tankers—the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda—that had attempted to reach an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman in violation of the U.S. blockade. Iran’s Central Military Headquarters said the strikes violated the ceasefire and targeted civilian infrastructure, adding that Iranian forces responded by striking U.S. military vessels and causing “significant damage.”
The State Department on Friday imposed sanctions on 11 foreign entities including three Chinese commercial satellite companies for allegedly providing satellite imagery to Iran. President Donald Trump is set to depart Tuesday for a state visit with President Xi Jinping in China.
The most recent Iranian proposal, delivered via Pakistani mediators and reported by Tasnim News Agency, demanded all issues be resolved within 30 days, including lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen assets, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas surrounding Iran, nonaggression guarantees, and an end to Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon. Iran’s foreign ministry has said the proposal “focused solely on ending the war” and that nuclear talks are off the table at this stage, while Ryan Grim of Drop Site News, which has sources in the Iranian government, told The American Conservative that Iranian officials have indicated a willingness to temporarily pause uranium enrichment in exchange for U.S. concessions.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Friday while an Israeli airstrike on a residential building reportedly killed 14 people on Saturday. The IDF said that Hezbollah attacked northern Israel with rockets and drones on Friday, with drones wounding 2 Israeli soldiers, while a third Israeli soldier was wounded in southern Lebanon.
Gas prices remained elevated on Saturday. AAA reported the national average price of gas at $4.53.
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