As the United States and Iran continue to work on a framework agreement to end the war that began in late February, ships continue to experience malfunctions near the Strait of Hormuz. The cargo ship said on Sunday (local time) that it was attacked by several small vessels near Hormuz, AP reported.
The entire crew of the unidentified northbound ship was reported safe after the attack took place in Sirik, Iran, east of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK’s British Military Maritime Merchant Operations. Iranian officials have reiterated that they are in control of the arterial waterway, which has been effectively closed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since the start of the war. The IRGC further said that all ships not affiliated with the US or Israel can pass through if they pay tolls.
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In addition, there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the first reported in the area since April 22, when a cargo ship reported being under fire, a British military monitor said. The threat level in the region remains critical and Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz by attacking and threatening vessels.
Read also | IRGC seizes two ships in Strait of Hormuz despite Trump extending ceasefire
Iran’s patrol boats, some powered by only two outboard engines, are small, fast and difficult to detect. Last month, US President Donald Trump ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the strait.
The shocking US-Iran truce is in place
A fragile three-week truce appears to be holding, although Trump told reporters on Saturday that more strikes remain a possibility. He said: “If they misbehave, if they do something wrong – but right now we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could certainly happen.”
This came after Iran’s deputy foreign minister and a senior military official said Tehran was fully prepared to repel any aggression and that a new clash with Washington was likely. This development came after the US rejected a 14-point proposal that Tehran had sent to Pakistani mediators to negotiate an end to the war with Washington and not just an extension of the ceasefire.
While Trump rejected the proposal on Friday, saying he was unhappy and could not agree to give what Tehran wanted, he told reporters on Saturday that the plan was being reviewed, renewing hopes for a peace deal. However, in a Truth Social post shortly afterwards, he said he “can’t imagine that would be acceptable” and stressed that Iran “has not yet paid a big enough price for what it has done to humanity and the world over the last 47 years”.
Read also | Iran proposal rejected by Trump would open Hormuz to nuclear talks: Official
What does Iran’s latest proposal contain?
According to reports, the Islamic Republic’s 14-point proposal includes issues between the two sides to be resolved within a month and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire that has been in place since April 8. Shortly before the two-week truce was set to expire on April 22, Trump extended the truce indefinitely.
The proposal also demanded that the US lift sanctions against Iran, end the naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw forces from the region and stop all hostilities, including Israeli operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iranian security organizations.
However, the proposal reportedly did not mention Iran’s nuclear program and its enriched uranium, which have long been central to tensions with Washington and which Tehran would prefer to address later.
Trump proposed a plan aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, located at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade flows, along with significant volumes of fertilizer needed for agriculture around the world.
Iran’s control of the strait after the outbreak of conflict with the US and Israel on February 28 has disrupted global markets.
On Sunday, Iranian Parliament Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad said Tehran would not back down from its position on the Strait of Hormuz or return it to pre-war conditions while visiting port facilities on the strategic Larak Island. He never has decision-making power in the parliament.
Key things
- The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global oil and gas trade.
- Ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US complicate military actions and proposals that seek to redefine the terms of the ceasefire.
- Geopolitical tensions in the region continue to affect global markets and trade.
