US, Iran no closer to ending war as Qatari tanker sails toward Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON/CAIRO: A state of relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran’s response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But a day later, there was no sign of movement from Tehran on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on ‌more contentious issues, including Iran’s ⁠nuclear program.Rubio ⁠met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Miami on Saturday and discussed the need to continue working together “to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

The statement did not specifically mention Iran.

A Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was sailing toward the strait on Saturday en route to Pakistan, according to LSEG shipping data, in a move sources said was approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the war.

If completed, it would mark the first transit of a Qatari LNG vessel through the strait since the conflict started. With U.S. President Donald Trump due to begin a visit to China next week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has thrown energy markets into turmoil and posed a growing threat to the world economy. Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the strait since a ⁠ceasefire began ‌a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.

CLASHES TEST CEASEFIRETehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the strait since the war began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes across Iran on February 28. Before the war, one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the narrow waterway.

On Friday, there were sporadic clashes between ⁠Iranian forces and U.S. vessels in the strait, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. The Tasnim news agency later cited an Iranian military source saying the situation had calmed but warning more clashes were possible.

The U.S. military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, with a U.S. fighter jet hitting their smokestacks and forcing them to turn back.

The U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month. But a CIA assessment indicated Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, raising questions about Trump’s leverage over Tehran in a conflict that has been unpopular with voters and U.S. allies.

A senior intelligence official characterised as false the “claims” about the CIA analysis, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

Clashes extended beyond the waterway. The UAE said its air defences engaged with two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran on Friday, with three people sustaining moderate injuries.

Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE ‌and other Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. In what the UAE called a major escalation, Iran stepped up attacks this week in response to Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom” to escort ships in the strait, which he paused after 48 hours.

Trump said on Thursday the ceasefire, announced on April 7, was holding despite the flare-ups, while Iran accused the U.S. of breaching it.

“Every time a diplomatic solution ⁠is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday.

U.S. PURSUES DIPLOMACY, STEPS UP SANCTIONSThe U.S. has found little international support in the conflict. After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rubio questioned why Italy and other allies were not backing Washington’s efforts to reopen the strait, warning of a dangerous precedent if Tehran were allowed to control an international waterway. Speaking in Stockholm, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said European countries shared the aim of stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and said they were working to bridge differences with Washington. Britain, which has been working with France on a proposal to ensure safe transit through the strait once the situation stabilises, said on Saturday it was deploying a warship to the Middle East in preparation for such a multinational mission.

While pursuing diplomacy, the U.S. also ratcheted up sanctions to pressure Iran.

Days before Trump travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, for aiding efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons and raw materials used to build Tehran’s Shahed drones.