Iran responds to US proposals but warns that restraint has come to an end
This announcement of Iran’s response came after several drones hit different areas of the Gulf and one of them hit a cargo ship bound for Qatar during the day.
U.S. blockade persists until a deal is reached
(AFP) Iran sent its response to Washington's proposal to end the war in the Middle East, while also warning that restraint on the military front had come to an end.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran sent, through a Pakistani mediator, its response to the latest text proposed by the United States to end the war," the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday, without giving further details.
The agency stressed that Iran's response is focused on "ending the war and ensuring maritime security" in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, according to an AFP report.
President Donald Trump had said he expected Pakistani mediators to receive the Iranian response on Friday.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had questioned the seriousness of the United States.
Iran has set up a mechanism to charge tolls on ships passing through the strait, but U.S. officials have stressed that this would be "unacceptable."
This announcement about the Iranian response came after several drones hit different areas of the Gulf and one of them hit a cargo ship bound for Qatar during the day.
JNS
CENTOM: US forces redirected 58 ships since start of blockade of the Islamic Republic
JNS (Jewish News Syndicate)
"Our restraint is over"
Simultaneously, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security Commission, Ebrahim Rezaei, warned the United States against any attacks on vessels in Gulf waters and said Iran's restraint has come to an end.
"Our restraint has ended as of today. Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against U.S. ships and bases," Rezaei wrote in X.
Several targets in the Gulf were targeted Sunday, including a cargo ship sailing to Qatar.
The Qatari Defense Ministry said a cargo ship arriving in its waters from Abu Dhabi was hit by a drone northeast of the port of Mesaieed.
The British maritime safety agency UKMTO said the bulk carrier had reported being hit by an unknown projectile.
"There was a small fire that has been extinguished, there are no casualties. There is no reported environmental impact," UKMTO noted.
World
CIA estimates Iran could withstand four more months of US naval blockade
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón
Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Iran's Fars news agency reported that "the bulk carrier that was hit off the coast of Qatar was sailing under the U.S. flag and belonged to the United States."
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of being responsible for an attack that targeted its territory.
Similarly, Kuwait also reported an attempted attack.
"At dawn today, the armed forces detected several hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace, which were neutralized in accordance with established procedures," its military issued.
New instructions
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to attack U.S. interests in the Middle East if its oil tankers were attacked, as happened Friday, when a U.S. fighter jet fired on two Iranian-flagged vessels and disabled them.
"Any attack on Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels will result in a strong attack on one of the U.S. centers in the region and on enemy ships," they warned.
Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil, gas and fertilizer, in an attempt to exert economic pressure on the United States and its allies. The U.S. Navy, in response, has maintained a blockade and sometimes disabled or diverted ships bound for or leaving Iranian ports.
LATEST
