Author: Idrees Ali, Erin Banco and Hatem Maher
WASHINGTON/CAIRO, May 9 (Reuters) – The United States and Iran appeared no closer to ending their war on Saturday after fighting in the Gulf amid a fragile ceasefire, while a U.S. intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand months of a naval blockade.
The United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday after the worst fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz has erupted in recent days since a ceasefire a month ago.
Washington has been awaiting Tehran’s response to a U.S. proposal that would formally end the war before negotiations on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking in Rome on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said the United States expected a response that day, although an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran was still weighing its response.
Conflict tests ceasefire
Sporadic clashes between Iranian troops and U.S. ships continued in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. Tasnim news agency later quoted Iranian military sources as saying the situation had calmed down but warning that more clashes were possible.
The U.S. military said two Iran-linked ships tried to enter an Iranian port and a U.S. fighter jet hit their funnels, forcing them to turn back.
Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping from passing through the strait since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran on February 28 with air strikes. Before the war, one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through this narrow waterway.
The United States imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping last month. But a CIA assessment suggests Iran will not come under severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, raising questions about President Donald Trump’s leverage over Tehran in a conflict that is unpopular with voters and U.S. allies.
A senior intelligence official called “claims” about the CIA analysis, first reported by The Washington Post, false.
The conflict extends beyond the waterways. The UAE said its air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran on Friday, injuring three people moderately.
Iran has repeatedly targeted the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. In what the UAE called a major escalation, Iran stepped up attacks this week in response to Trump’s announcement of Project Freedom to escort ships in the strait, which he suspended 48 hours later.
Trump said on Thursday that the ceasefire announced on April 7 remained in effect despite tensions, while Iran accused the United States of violating it.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the United States opts for reckless military adventures,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday. Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the U.S. Navy attacked an Iranian merchant ship on Thursday night, killing one crew member, injuring 10 people, and leaving six missing.
US seeks diplomacy, tightens sanctions
The United States received little international support in the conflict. After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, Rubio questioned why Italy and other allies did not support Washington’s efforts to reopen the strait and warned that it would set a dangerous precedent if Tehran was allowed to control the international waterway.
While engaging in diplomacy, the United States has also increased sanctions to put pressure on Iran.
Days before Trump travels to China to meet with President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions on 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, for helping the Iranian military obtain weapons and raw materials used to build Tehran’s Shahed drones.
The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that it is prepared to take action against any foreign companies that support illegal business in Iran and may impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions, including those related to independent Chinese refineries.
(Reporting by Reuters Newsroom; Writing by Changlan Kim; Editing by William Mallard)
