Trump Threatens Iran Strikes as US Fires on Iranian-Flagged Tanker During Strait Blockade

Iran is expected to respond Thursday to a US proposal for ending the war, with sources telling CNN that Tehran is moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum.

“United States President Donald Trump has expressed hope for a deal with Iran, saying talks have been “very good” and that the war will “be over quickly”, as Tehran reviews a peace proposal from Washington”

Al Jazeera

The same reporting described a naval standoff in which the US military fired on an Iranian-flagged tanker heading to an Iranian port while enforcing its blockade, hours after Iran launched a body it said will govern traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Jazeera

CNN also said about 1,600 ships are still stuck near the Strait of Hormuz, with shipping companies facing an expensive and risky situation, and that Trump’s operation to “guide” ships through the strait lasted just 48 hours with only two ships guided through.

In parallel, CNN reported that “Thirty-two ships have been hit with missiles since the beginning of the war,” resulting in 10 deaths and at least a dozen injuries, according to the International Maritime Organization.

While Iran reviews the proposal, BBC reported that a foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran would share its views of a US proposal with Pakistani mediators, and that Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei told ISNA: "The American proposal is still being reviewed by Iran and after concluding, it will inform the Pakistani side of its opinion."

Reuters reporting cited by CNN and repeated by Al Jazeera described Trump’s optimism and threats, with Al Jazeera quoting Trump saying, "if it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them."

BBC

The BBC also said a senior member of Iran's parliament dismissed the proposal as a "wish list," while Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for Iran's parliament commission, wrote on X that "The Americans will not gain anything in a war they are losing that they have not gained in face-to-face negotiations."

In the same BBC account, Trump predicted the war would be "over quickly" and said most people "understand" his goal of ending Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The stakes in the sources center on whether the memorandum can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift blockades, with Bloomberg saying Washington’s one-page memorandum would, if accepted, lead to the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting of the American blockade on Iranian ports.

“Iran is evaluating a new proposal from the US to end their near 10-week war, according to a person familiar with the matter, as China added its voice to global pressure to wrap up the conflict”

Bloomberg

CNN described the operational pressure around the strait, noting that insurers have wartime clauses that do not require them to cover vessels stuck in the middle of a war, and that moving ships without that financial backing risks being extraordinarily costly.

CBS News added that Trump threatened Iran with "higher level" military strikes if it doesn't accept a peace deal, while also saying it was "too soon" for new direct talks with Iranian officials in Pakistan after reporting "great progress" in negotiations.

Still, the sources show unresolved friction: the BBC said the proposal’s provisions include a suspension on Iranian nuclear enrichment, the lifting of sanctions, and restoring free transit through the Strait of Hormuz, while CNN said the US threatened the resumption of bombing if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal.