Iran has threatened the United States with retaliation if there are further attacks on Iranian merchant ships in the Gulf.
Any attack on Iranian ships would trigger a massive strike on one of the US centres in the region and on hostile vessels, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Saturday evening, according to state media.
Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether Iran had submitted its response to a US peace proposal expected by President Donald Trump. Neither the Iranian side nor the US administration had commented publicly.
On Friday, the US military attacked and disabled two unloaded oil tankers sailing under the Iranian flag despite a ceasefire. According to the US military, the ships had tried to enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, thereby breaking the US naval blockade.
The IRGC also said no threats against their ships or disruption of their oil exports and trade routes would be tolerated. The merchant fleet would be protected, they said.
Iran yet to respond
Iran appears to have not yet responded to the US proposal to end the war, with no response made public.
Trump and his administration had said they expected a response by Friday.
Iran's government said a few days ago that it was examining a proposal from the US.
The proposal is a 14-point declaration of intent. Its aims include creating a framework for initial 30-day negotiations to end the war.
According to media reports, a possible easing of US sanctions and agreements on the future of the Strait of Hormuz are also being discussed. The proposal is also intended to lay the groundwork for negotiations on Iran's disputed nuclear programme.
Diplomatic efforts ongoing
Diplomatic efforts are continuing apace.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Saturday in an effort to reach an agreement to end the war, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The White House considers Qatar particularly effective in negotiations with Iran, the report said. Pakistan is officially mediating in the Iran war, while Qatar is acting more behind the scenes.
