U.S. fires at Iran tankers, sparks reprisals

TEHRAN (AFP) — A United States fighter jet on Friday disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as President Donald Trump said he was awaiting Tehran’s reply to his latest proposal to end the Middle East war.

Iranian officials accused the US of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

US Central Command said an F/A-18 Super Hornet used precision munitions on Friday against two ships in the Gulf of Oman — gateway to the vital Strait of Hormuz — to prevent them from continuing to Iran.

An Iranian military official told local media the country’s navy had “responded to the violation of the ceasefire and to American terrorism with strikes” and “the clashes have now ceased.”

The latest incident came after another flare-up overnight in the strait, control of which an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader compared to having “an atomic bomb.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated on Friday that it was “unacceptable” for Tehran to control the crucial oil conduit.

Speaking to reporters in Rome, Rubio said Washington was expecting Iran’s response to its latest proposal later in the day and expressed hope it would be “a serious offer.”

Trump, at the White House, later added: “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Washington has sent Iran, via Pakistani mediators, a proposal to extend the truce in the Gulf to allow for talks on a final settlement of the conflict launched 10 weeks ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Friday that the proposal was still “under review,” according to the ISNA news agency.

Meanwhile, a parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was also under strain. Iran-backed Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday.