Iran signaled it will not be pressured by American deadlines over a proposed peace framework while U.S. naval forces continued disabling Iranian-linked tankers accused of violating blockade restrictions in the Gulf of Oman.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran said Saturday it is continuing to evaluate a U.S.-backed peace proposal tied to the ongoing regional conflict, while simultaneously dismissing American deadlines as irrelevant amid rising military tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran would respond to the proposal “at the appropriate time,” according to reporting from Middle East Eye, despite mounting pressure from Washington for a formal answer.
Baghaei reportedly said Iran would not respond to “deadlines or ultimatums,” adding that such demands “mean nothing” to Tehran.
The remarks followed comments Friday from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who indicated the Trump administration expected an Iranian response imminently as indirect negotiations continue.
“We should know something today. I mean, we’re expecting a response from them,” Rubio said. “We’ll see what the response entails. And the hope is that something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”
President Donald Trump also addressed the diplomatic standoff Friday, saying the United States would “find out soon enough” whether Iran was intentionally delaying its reply to the American proposal.
The diplomatic uncertainty unfolded as U.S. military operations in the Gulf of Oman intensified under the ongoing maritime blockade surrounding Iranian ports.
In a newly released video statement, the U.S. military confirmed American aircraft disabled additional Iranian-flagged oil tankers accused of attempting to breach blockade restrictions during Operation Epic Fury.
According to U.S. Central Command, Navy aircraft targeted the vessels M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda before they reached Iranian-controlled ports.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM stated.
“A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran,” the statement continued.
CENTCOM additionally disclosed that U.S. forces disabled another Iranian-linked vessel earlier in the week.
“U.S. forces also disabled Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna, May 6, as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman,” the military stated. “An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) disabled the unladen oil tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun.”
American military officials emphasized that U.S. forces throughout the Middle East remain “mission ready” during the conflict. Central Command also released imagery showing an Air Force F-16 fighter operating over regional airspace.
Despite recent military exchanges in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran technically remains in effect.
The United States has nevertheless maintained its naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping activity while negotiations continue through diplomatic intermediaries.
CENTCOM stated Friday that the tankers were intercepted before “entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade.”
The operations underscored the fragile state of negotiations as both sides publicly maintain support for diplomacy while military confrontations continue across key maritime routes tied to global oil transportation.
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