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 said 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 and after 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 said 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 launched 10 weeks ago with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Friday that the proposal was still "under review and once a final decision is reached, it will certainly be announced", according to the ISNA news agency.
Two Saudi sources, meanwhile, said 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 and 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, it said, alleging that the attack was carried out with cooperation.
Baqaei accused the US of a "blatant violation of international law and a breach of the ceasefire", but said Iranian forces had "delivered a 'major slap' to the enemy".
Asked in Washington on Thursday if the ceasefire with Iran was still in effect after the clash, US President Donald Trump said: "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 UAE said it had been forced to intercept a volley of Iranian drones and missiles.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched missiles at a military base in Israel on Friday in response to Israeli attacks that killed a top commander, while Lebanese authorities reported five people including a rescuer killed in fresh Israeli strikes.
In a statement, the group said the missiles targeted a base south of the Israeli city of Nahariya "in response to the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire, the targeting of Beirut's southern suburbs and the attacks that affected villages and civilians in southern Lebanon". — AFP
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