Tehran appears unconcerned with deadline US Secretar noy of State Marco Rubio says he expects Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal to end fighting to come by Friday. But a senior Iranian official is apparently not concerned about the deadline.
Meanwhile, the US military and Iranian navy are exchanging fire around the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio told reporters in Italy on Friday a response from Iran is expected at some point in the day.
He said: “We’ll see what the response entails. The hope is it’s something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday said the US proposal is under review and Tehran will “definitely announce the final result.”
In a separate interview with a state-run broadcaster and others, he said, “We are doing our own work and are not concerned with deadlines or ultimatums.”
US Central Command has enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged empty oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. It added that a US Navy F/A-18 fighter jet launched from a US aircraft carrier disabled both tankers after firing into their smokestacks.
The Tasnim News Agency reported a limited clash occurred with the US military near the Strait of Hormuz.
The agency later quoted a military official as saying that the Iranian navy responded to “the hostile action of the American terrorists” against Iranian tankers. It added, “the atmosphere is calm” now.
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