US Forces Disable Two Iranian-Flagged Tankers Near Strait of Hormuz While Awaiting Iran Response

The US is awaiting a response from Iran to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict, as Iran accused Washington of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.

The Guardian reported that on Friday US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers attempting to violate the American blockade of Iran’s ports, while the US military said it struck and disabled the ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Jazeera

Euronews said Washington insists its month-long ceasefire with Iran is continuing to hold despite renewed hostilities and exchanges of fire, and that the US military said its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers trying to breach a US naval blockade of Iran’s ports.

In the same reporting, Euronews said the US Central Command posted video of the tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet on Friday, and it noted that an earlier US jet shot out the rudder of a tanker Washington said was attempting to evade its blockade.

The Guardian also quoted Marco Rubio saying, “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point … I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do … The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of breaking the ceasefire, posting on X on Friday: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

Euronews reported that Araghchi also slammed the US over its renewed attacks in the past few days and, in a post on X, refuted Washington’s assessments of Iran’s strike capabilities while expressing Iran’s preparedness to resume hostilities.

Anadolu Ajansi

In the same Euronews account, Araghchi wrote, “Also the CIA is wrong. Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75% compared to Feb 28. The correct figure is 120%,” and added, “As for our readiness to defend our people: 1,000%.”

Euronews also described Bahrain’s response to the conflict, saying Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior arrested 41 people it alleges are part of a group affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, with investigations ongoing.

Spectrum News NY1 reported that Iran issued a warning to Bahrain: “Siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER,” Ebrahim Azizi said on social media.

The US proposal is described as offering a formal ceasefire for at least 60 days that would lead to talks to resolve contentious issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme, and The Guardian said US officials repeatedly stated early in the war that eliminating Iran’s missile armoury and production facilities was a key objective.

“Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri-Moqaddam, deleted a tweet he had posted on Thursday about Iran's delegation heading to Islamabad tonight to discuss a ceasefire with the United States, despite Israel's violation of it, in order to obstruct diplomatic efforts to end the war in the region”

Anadolu Ajansi

Euronews said Washington is awaiting Iran’s response to a deal that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, while it also stated the US President Donald Trump reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and accept all of Washington’s demands.

The Guardian reported that Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s ballistic missile stocks and launcher capacity had been repaired and restocked during the pause in hostilities and expanded, and it framed control of the strait and the threat to restart attacks on nearby countries’ oil and other infrastructure in the Gulf as the two main cards Iran can play in negotiations.

Euronews added that Russia’s foreign ministry said it, as well as Saudi Arabia, is calling for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a “sustainable, long-term agreement” to end the war, while Egypt and Qatar’s top diplomats reiterated that diplomacy is the only path forward.

In Spectrum News NY1, the stakes were tied directly to shipping and enforcement, with the US Central Command saying it had turned back 58 commercial ships and “disabled” four since the blockade began April 13.