The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf.

Asian stocks soared and oil prices fell after US President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks, and Iran said it would pass on its latest position to mediator Pakistan.

Any agreement to prolong the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could also lower tensions in Lebanon, where an already fragile truce with Israel was under renewed strain after a strike on southern Beirut killed a Hezbollah commander.

The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has seen Iran respond with attacks across the Middle East and impose a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf oil and gas industries and a strategic trade route.

Trump had this week briefly launched a naval operation to escort commercial vessels and force open the strait, only to stand it down within hours, citing progress on negotiations with Iran, which have been mediated by Pakistan and supported by Washington’s Gulf Arab allies.

In Iran, however, many were wary of increased repression as the war drags on.

“The economic situation got worse, and this government has become even more brutal,” 49-year-old Ali told AFP journalists in Paris from the Iranian city of Tonekabon, using only his first name for fear of retribution.

‘Under review’

“We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, adding his now habitual threat to return to bombing if Tehran refuses to back down to US demands.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the US proposal remained “under review” and Tehran would communicate its position to mediator Pakistan “after finalising its views”.

According to a report from US network NBC News, Trump’s U-turn came after Saudi Arabia — whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly talked directly to Trump — refused to allow US forces to use its airspace and bases for the Hormuz operation.

US news outlet Axios, citing two officials, reported that both Tehran and Washington were close to agreement on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump has claimed that Iran’s leadership is divided, in the wake of the deaths of many senior figures in US and Israeli strikes.

But President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday he had met with the country’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since his appointment in early March.

“What struck me most during this meeting was the vision and the humble and sincere approach of the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution,” Pezeshkian said, in a video broadcast by state television.

Khamenei, reportedly wounded in strikes on the first day of the Middle East war that claimed the life of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei, has released only written statements since his appointment.

Oil prices fall

Oil prices fell again, tumbling by two per cent on Thursday — having fallen around 10 per cent over the previous two days — and Tokyo’s Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by revived optimism that the talks will bear fruit.

Energy prices are still much higher than before the conflict, but international standard Brent and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate are both now below the symbolic $100 level.

Markets have been particularly concerned about the Strait of Hormuz, which in peacetime carries a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG trade as well as a good chunk of its fertiliser.

On the Lebanese front, Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs Wednesday in the first such attack in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander from its elite Radwan force.

In a video released by his office, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “I say to our enemies in the clearest possible terms: no terrorist is immune. Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions.”

The Israeli military said in a statement Thursday that an “explosive drone impact” had wounded four of its soldiers — one severely — in southern Lebanon the previous day.

The United States on Thursday urged Iran to free jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi after her supporters warned she was at risk of dying in custody.

Mohammadi, 54, a human rights activist who has spent much of the past two decades behind bars, is believed to have had two heart attacks in recent weeks, according to her supporters.

“We call on the Iranian regime to release her now and give her the care she needs. The world is watching,” Riley Barnes, the US assistant secretary of state in charge of human rights, wrote on social media.

The United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Mohammadi has criticised the war against her country, saying during last year’s Israeli bombing campaign that the violence hurt ordinary people and only entrenched the clerical state.

She was arrested again in December after denouncing the Islamic Republic at a funeral for a lawyer.

The United States under President Donald Trump has not spoken out often on human rights, seeing the issue as a cudgel against adversaries but largely holding off on criticising countries aligned with the Republican administration.

The United Arab Emirates will form a committee to document Iran’s attacks during the Middle East war to support legal action, state media said on Thursday, after earlier calling for reparations.

Major landmarks including Dubai’s luxury Palm development, as well as airports and energy facilities, were among the sites hit in Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the Gulf.

The UAE bore the brunt of the attacks, having been targeted by more than 2,800 drones and missiles from the neighbouring country.

A new national committee has been tasked with “documenting and monitoring all incidents of attacks and military actions associated with the Iranian aggression”, the official WAM news agency said.

“The outcomes of the committee’s work will contribute to supporting the UAE’s legal efforts at both the national and international levels by preparing a comprehensive documentation file,” it added.

Last month, the UAE insisted that Iran should pay for the damage it has caused.

The attacks “necessitate a firm position, including ensuring that Iran is held accountable and fully liable for damages and reparations”, a foreign ministry statement said.

The Middle East war has rocked the wealthy UAE, cutting off most oil exports and undercutting the safe-haven image that helped it become the region’s financial hub.

The Israeli military said on Thursday it would investigate after a soldier was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.

An image appearing to show an Israeli soldier with his arm around the revered Christian figure and holding a cigarette up to her mouth was widely shared on social media on Wednesday.

When asked for its response to the image, the Israeli military said it “views the incident with utmost severity and emphasises that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.”

“The incident will be investigated, and command measures will be taken against the soldier in accordance with the findings,” it added.

It said that an initial review showed the image was taken several weeks ago.

It is not the first time the Israeli military has come under fire in recent weeks over soldiers’ conduct surrounding Christian statues in southern Lebanon.

In late April, the military said two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in the south Lebanese village of Debl.

In that incident, a photo was shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross.

The Israeli military said on Thursday it “respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities”.

It added that it had “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”

Around 1,500 ships and their crews are trapped in the Gulf due to the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the secretary general of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said in Panama on Thursday.

The war in the Middle East, unleashed on February 28 by Israel and the United States against Iran, provoked reprisals from Tehran across the region and a shipping blockade in Hormuz, a crucial global trade route.

“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas.

Dominguez said that maritime shipping moves over 80 per cent of total consumed products in the world.

The stranded crew members “are innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but “are trapped by geopolitical situations outside their control,” Dominguez told the gathering of industry executives and IMO representatives.

Before the conflict’s outbreak, a fifth of the world’s total petroleum and gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure has led to a significant global surge in the price of hydrocarbons.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a naval operation to escort the trapped ships and force the opening of the strait, but called off the push shortly after.

Washington is now waiting for an Iranian response to proposals for ending the war and reopening the Hormuz strait.

Pope Leo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ​jointly committed at a meeting on Thursday to improving relations between the Vatican and Washington, at a time when President Donald Trumphas repeatedly attacked the pontiff.

Leo ‌and Rubio “renewed the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations,” the Vatican said in a statement after the first meeting between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year, amid an atmosphere of tension with Washington.

Leo, the first US pope, drew Trump’s ire after becoming a firm critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration’s hardline anti-immigration policies.

Trump has kept up an ​unprecedented series of public attacks on the pope in recent weeks, drawing a backlash from Christian leaders across the political spectrum.

Rubio’s meeting with Leo is a ​sign of a “strong” relationship between the Vatican and the US, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

Rubio spent 2-1/2 hours at the ⁠Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He also met with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

The US embassy to the ​Holy See said on X that Leo and Rubio had discussed “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere”.

The Vatican statement said the two had “exchanged views” on the world situation ​and spoke about “the need to work tirelessly in favour of peace.”

‘PLANT OF PEACE’

The meeting appeared to have run longer than planned. The pope arrived 40 minutes late for a subsequent meeting with Vatican staffers and thanked them for being patient.

Vatican video from the beginning of the closed-door encounter showed Leo shaking hands with his guest and addressing him formally as “Mr. Secretary”, to which Rubio, a Catholic, ​responded: “Great to see you.”

Rubio was also seen giving the pope a small crystal football. He joked that he knew that Leo, originally from Chicago and known as a fan of ​the White Sox, was more of a “baseball guy”.

Leo gave Rubio a small pen made from wood from an olive tree, which he called “the plant of peace”.

Rubio had told a White House ‌briefing on Tuesday ⁠he expected to discuss Cuba and concerns over religious freedom around the world with Leo. The US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, said, also on Tuesday, that the conversation between the pope and Rubio was likely to be “frank”.

In his public criticism of the pope, Trump on Monday falsely suggested that Leo believed it was okay for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and that he was “endangering a lot of Catholics” by opposing the war.

Leo told journalists after the latest attack that he was spreading the Christian ​message of peace. The pope also firmly rejected ​the idea that he supported nuclear ⁠weapons, which the Catholic Church teaches are immoral.

As Rubio arrived at the Vatican earlier on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was leaving from a meeting with Leo. He told journalists he and the pope discussed how to strengthen international cooperation and generate ​hope in the world.

“It is still possible that the world does not have to descend into chaos, if good people, ​people of goodwill, find one ⁠another and act in unity,” Tusk said, speaking in Polish.

LEO HAS GROWN MORE OUTSPOKEN

Leo, who on Friday marks his first year leading the 1.4-billion-member Church, has grown more outspoken on the world stage in recent weeks.

During a four-nation African tour last month he forcefully decried the direction of global leadership and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants”, in comments ⁠he later said ​were not aimed directly at Trump.

Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, who is also a Catholic, ​met Leo a year ago after attending the pope’s inaugural mass. Trump has not met the pontiff.

During his two-day visit to Rome, Rubio is due to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has defended the pope ​from Trump, on Friday. Meloni’s defence minister has said the war in Iran puts US leadership at risk.

Lebanon and Israel will hold a new round of peace talks on May 14-15 in Washington, a US official said Thursday, despite a new Israeli strike in the heart of Beirut.

The attack late Wednesday killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, with Israel saying it will keep targeting the Iranian-backed group despite a ceasefire in place in Lebanon.

Next week’s talks will be the third between Israel and Lebanon, which have not spoken directly for decades and have no diplomatic relations.

“There will be talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday and Friday next week in Washington,” a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 2,700 people since March 2, including dozens since a ceasefire was declared, according to Lebanese authorities.

At the last talks on April 23, the two sides met in the White House with President Donald Trump, who announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire.

He also said that he expected a historic meeting within the ceasefire period between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

But Aoun said Monday that the timing was not yet right for a meeting, saying that first the two countries must reach a security agreement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at a news conference on Tuesday, said that “there’s no problem between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government” and that Hezbollah was the issue.

“By and large, I think a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel is eminently achievable and should be,” Rubio said.

Israel has carried out heavy bombings of Lebanon, as well as a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

It was responding to rocket fire by Hezbollah, a Shia group backed by Iran’s ruling clerics, which had vowed to avenge the killing of Iran’s long-time supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the war on Iran launched by Trump and Netanyahu on February 28.

An Israeli strike on Wednesday also killed four people in the eastern Bekaa Valley, with Israel saying it was targeting Hezbollah.

The two previous rounds of talks in Washington were held between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.

The United States sanctioned on ​Thursday Iraq’s deputy oil minister ‌and militias over support for Iran, the Treasury Department said.

The Treasury Department ​accused Iraq’s minister Ali ​Maarij Al-Bahadly of abusing “his position to ⁠facilitate the diversion of ​oil to be sold for the ​benefit of the Iranian regime and its proxy militias in Iraq.”

The department is ​also sanctioning three senior ​leaders of Iran-aligned militias Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada ‌and ⁠Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq, it said.

“Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran’s military exploits Iraqi oil ​to fund ​terrorism ⁠against the United States and our partners,” Treasury ​Secretary Scott Bessent said ​in ⁠a statement.

The sanctions freeze any US assets of those targeted and ⁠generally ​bar Americans from ​dealing with them.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that he recently held a meeting with Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, describing the interaction as friendly, calm and based on mutual trust.

According to the Iranian news agency Mizan, President Pezeshkian disclosed details of the meeting while addressing trade representatives and bazaar officials in Tehran.

He said the meeting with the supreme leader lasted around two and a half hours, although he did not specify when it took place.

“The meeting took place in a very friendly and calm atmosphere, where discussions were held directly and openly,” the Iranian president said.

The revelation is being viewed as significant because reports regarding injuries to Mojtaba Khamenei had been circulating since attacks on Iran on February 28, after which he had not appeared publicly.

Analysts see Pezeshkian’s remarks as confirmation that the supreme leader remains active and engaged in state affairs.

The Iranian president said public office should not be viewed as a source of privilege or superiority but rather as a heavy responsibility centred on public service, accountability and commitment.

He added that what impressed him most during the meeting was the supreme leader’s manner of conversation, conduct and approach to issues, which created an atmosphere of trust, calmness, empathy and direct dialogue.

The United States and Iran are edging toward a limited, temporary agreement to halt their war, sources and officials said ​on Thursday, with a draft framework that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved.

The emerging plan centres on a short-term memorandum rather than a comprehensive peace ‌deal, underscoring deep divisions between the two sides and signalling that any agreement at this stage would be an interim step.

Hopes that even a partial deal could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have already moved markets, with Asian stocks trading around record highs on Thursday and oil prices nursing steep losses on bets that supply disruptions could ease.

Tehran and Washington have scaled back ambitions for a sweeping settlement as differences persist, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme — including the fate of ​its highly enriched uranium stockpiles and how long Tehran would halt nuclear work.

Instead, they are working toward a temporary arrangement aimed at preventing a return to conflict and stabilising shipping through the ​strait, the sources and officials said.

“Our priority is that they announce a permanent end to war and the rest of the issues could be thrashed out ⁠once they get back to direct talks,” a senior Pakistani official involved in mediation between the two sides told Reuters.

The proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in ​the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, according to the sources and officials.

A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation said a one-page memorandum to formally ​end the conflict was close, though gaps remain between the sides.

Trump optimistic, Iran sceptical

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly played up the prospect of a breakthrough since the war began on February 28, struck an optimistic tone.

“They want to make a deal… it’s very possible,” he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday, adding later that “it’ll be over quickly.”

The proposal would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key US demands that Iran suspend its nuclear programme and reopen the ​Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.

Iranian officials signalled scepticism.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran would respond in due course, while lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei described the proposal as “more of an American wish-list than a reality.”

Iran’s ​parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf appeared to mock reports that indicated the two sides were close, writing on social media that “Operation Trust Me Bro failed” and portraying the negotiations as US spin following its failure to reopen the Strait ‌of Hormuz.

Oil down on deal hopes

Reports of a possible agreement caused global oil prices to tumble to two-week lows on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent crude futures falling about 11% to around $98 a barrel at one point before rebounding above $100 and easing to roughly $99 on Thursday.

Global share prices also leapt and bond yields fell on optimism about an end to a war that has disrupted energy supplies.

“The contents of the US-Iran peace proposals are thin, but there is an expectation in the market that further military action will not take place,” said Takamasa Ikeda, a senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management.

Military, regional tensions

Trump on Tuesday paused [a two-day-old naval mission](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-sees-swift-end-war-iran-reviews-us-peace-proposal-2026-05-07/paused a two-day-old naval mission) aimed ​at reopening the blockaded strait, citing progress in talks.

NBC ​News, citing two unnamed US officials, said ⁠Trump decided on the pause after Saudi Arabia suspended the US military’s ability to use a Saudi base for the operation.

Saudi officials were surprised and angered by Trump’s announcement that the US would help escort ships through the Strait, leading them to tell Washington they would deny the US permission to fly military aircraft ​out of a Saudi base or through Saudi airspace, NBC reported.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The ​US military has kept up its ⁠own blockade on Iranian ships in the region.

US Central Command said forces fired at an unladen Iranian-flagged tanker on Wednesday, disabling the vessel as it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the blockade.

Key demands left out

Even if agreed, the memorandum would leave fundamental disputes unresolved.

The source briefed on the mediation said the US negotiations were being led by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

If both sides agreed on ⁠the preliminary deal, ​that would start the clock on 30 days of detailed negotiations to reach a full agreement.

The sources said the memorandum did ​not mention several key demands Washington has made in the past, which Iran has rejected, such as the restrictions on Iran’s missile programme and an end to its support for proxy militias in the Middle East.

The sources also made no mention of Iran’s existing ​stockpile of more than 400 kg of near-weapons-grade uranium — one of Washington’s central concerns.

US President Donald Trump has reportedly suspended a naval operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia declined to grant permission for American aircraft to use Prince Sultan Airbase or fly through Saudi airspace, US media reported, citing administration officials.

The operation, dubbed “Project Freedom,” was announced on Sunday, surprising Saudi and other Gulf leaders, according to the report.

Trump reportedly called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but did not secure approval for the mission.

A Saudi source told NBC News that “things are happening quickly in real time,” while stressing that Riyadh remains supportive of Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts to mediate between the US and Iran.

A White House official said regional allies had been notified in advance, though a Middle East diplomat told NBC News that the US only coordinated with Oman after publicly announcing the initiative.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation announced on Thursday that it is fully prepared to provide maritime, technical, and medical support to commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.

The state-run IRNA reported that the announcement, sent to ship commanders through official maritime channels, includes services such as provisions, fuel, medical assistance, health services, and authorised repair materials.

The measure aims to ensure vessel safety and crew welfare amid heightened regional tensions.

Senior Iranian officials have reiterated that Tehran will not compromise on its nuclear programme or surrender control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, as tensions with the United States continue over the ongoing war.

Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and member of Iran’s Expediency Council, told Iran’s ISNA news agency that handing over control of the strait to foreign powers would allow adversaries to “weaponise it against Iran and its people.”

Rezaei stressed that “the region must provide its own security; foreign forces — whether American or European — must leave.”

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Defence, called on Washington and Israel to recognise the rights of the Iranian nation.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he warned that the United States would remain trapped in a “quagmire” unless it acknowledges Iran’s rights and distances itself from the “evil and criminal” Israeli regime.

Talaei-Nik emphasised that Iran’s people constitute the “strategic depth of Iran’s defence power” and insisted that respecting these realities was key to ending the war.

The statements reflect Iran’s firm stance in ongoing diplomatic and military standoffs with the US and its allies, signalling that Tehran will resist external pressure on core issues such as nuclear capability and control of critical waterways.

US President Donald Trump predicted a swift end to the war ​with Iran as Tehran considered a US peace proposal that sources said would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key US demands that Iran ‌suspend its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson cited by Iran’s ISNA news agency said Tehran would convey its response, while Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for parliament’s powerful foreign policy and national security committee, described the proposal as “more of an American wish-list than a reality.”

“They want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 ​hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying later, “it’ll be over quickly.”

Trump has repeatedly ​played up the prospect of an agreement to end the war that started on February 28, so far without success.

The two sides remain ⁠at odds over a variety of difficult issues, such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war handled one-fifth of ​the world’s oil and gas supply.

A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation said an agreement was close on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict.

​That would kick off discussions to unblock shipping through the strait, lift US sanctions on Iran and set curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme, the sources said.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf appeared to mock reports that indicated the two sides were close, writing on social media in English that “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”

Qalibaf said such reports amounted to US spin following its failure to open the Strait of ​Hormuz.

Oil prices down on deal hopes

Reports of a possible agreement caused global oil prices to tumble to two-week lows on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent crude futures falling about 11% ​to around $98 a barrel at one point before rising back above the $100 mark.

Global share prices also leapt and bond yields fell on optimism about an end to a war that has disrupted ‌energy supplies.

“The ⁠contents of the US-Iran peace proposals are thin, but there is an expectation in the market that further military action will not take place,” said Takamasa Ikeda, a senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management.

Trump on Tuesday paused a two-day-old naval mission to reopen the blockaded strait, citing progress in peace talks.

NBC News, citing two unnamed US officials, said Trump’s abrupt reversal came after Saudi Arabia suspended the US military’s ability to use a Saudi base for the operation.

Saudi officials were surprised and angered by Trump’s announcement that the ​US would help escort ships through the ​Strait of Hormuz, leading them to tell ⁠Washington they would deny the US permission to fly military aircraft out of a Saudi base or through Saudi airspace, NBC reported.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The US military has kept up its own ​blockade on Iranian ships in the region.

US Central Command said forces fired at an unladen Iranian-flagged tanker on Wednesday, disabling ​the vessel as it ⁠attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the blockade.

Key US demands

The source briefed on the mediation said the US negotiations were being led by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

If both sides agreed on the preliminary deal, that would start the clock on 30 days of detailed negotiations to reach a full ⁠agreement.

While the sources ​said the memorandum would not initially require concessions from either side, they did not mention several key ​demands Washington has made in the past, which Iran has rejected, such as the restrictions on Iran’s missile programme and an end to its support for proxy militias in the Middle East.

The sources also made no mention ​of Iran’s existing stockpile of more than 400 kg of near-weapons-grade uranium.

An Iranian oil tanker came under fire from the US military in the Gulf of Oman, escalating regional tensions, sources said Thursday.

The sources said that the US military fired on the Iranian oil tanker, striking its rudder as the vessel attempted to breach the American blockade of Iranian ports

The attack on Wednesday comes amid ongoing ceasefire talks between Washington and Tehran, as President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Iran into agreeing to a settlement that would end the two-month war.

Trump suggested that the US could escalate military action if Iran rejects the proposed agreement.

“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be… at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” he wrote on social media.

He also indicated that the war could end quickly if Iran accepts the terms, which reportedly include halting uranium enrichment, lifting sanctions, releasing frozen funds, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials responded cautiously.

Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has “strongly rejected” previous US proposals but is reviewing the latest American offer.

The strike follows Trump’s suspension of a brief US operation intended to secure safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the short-lived effort, tensions remain high, with the US military reporting the sinking of six Iranian small boats that threatened civilian ships.

US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about a potential deal with Iran, saying talks have been “very good” and suggesting the war could “be over quickly” if an agreement is reached.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump claimed Iran wants to “make a deal badly” and emphasised that any agreement would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump said.

He later told PBS that he hoped to reach an agreement before his upcoming trip to China, but warned that the US would resume military action if negotiations collapsed.

“If it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them,” he said.

Iranian officials, however, downplayed reports of an imminent deal.

Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has yet to respond to the US proposal, calling the discussions “ongoing.”

Lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei described the US text as “more of an American wish list than a reality,” while Iran’s parliament speaker mocked media reports of progress, referring to them as “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”

Iran has repeatedly emphasised that its nuclear enrichment programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz are non-negotiable.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently introduced new rules for passage through the strait, requiring payments in Iranian currency and reparations for any damage caused by countries involved in the conflict.

The Israeli ​military carried out a ‌strike on Wednesday on the southern suburbs of Beirut ​in a Hezbollah stronghold ​known as Dahiyeh, targeting the ⁠commander of the ​militant group’s elite Radwan force, ​according to an official Israeli statement.

The strike was the first ​to hit Beirut’s suburbs ​since the April 16 ceasefire, although ‌hostilities ⁠in the south of Lebanon have not halted.

“Radwan operatives, led by this ​commander, ​were responsible ⁠for firing at Israeli communities and ​harming IDF soldiers,” ​a ⁠joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ⁠Defence ​Minister Israel ​Katz said.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that ​Iran wants to negotiate and ‌make a deal, adding that the US was doing very well in Iran and ​that it was going very ​smoothly.

“We’re doing very well in Iran. ⁠It’s going very smoothly, and we’ll ​see what happens. They want to ​make a deal, they want to negotiate,” Trump said at an event at the White ​House.

“We’re dealing with people that ​want to make a deal very much, and ‌we’ll ⁠see whether or not they can make a deal that’s satisfactory to us.”

Iran said it was reviewing a ​new US ​proposal on ⁠Wednesday, after sources said Washington and Tehran were closing ​in on a one-page memorandum ​to end the war in the Gulf while leaving tricky issues such as Iran’s ⁠nuclear ​program for later.

Iranian FA (FFIRI) chief Mehdi Taj says FIFA must guarantee that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not insulted by the ​United States if the national team is to travel to the country to play at the World Cup in June.

An ‌FFIRI delegation, including Taj, turned back from the Canadian border last week because of what they said was disrespectful treatment at the hands of immigration officials as they tried to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.

Taj said the decision to return home had been their own choice, but Canada’s immigration minister later confirmed to parliament ​that the FFIRI president’s visa had been cancelled while he was in the air because of his links to the ​IRGC.

Canada listed the IRGC, an elite military force whose purpose is to protect Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran, ⁠as a “terrorist entity” in 2024, five years after the US did the same.

FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom sent a letter expressing regret at the “inconvenience ​and disappointment” the Iranians had experienced in Canada and inviting FFIRI to Zurich on May 20 for a meeting about their World Cup ​preparations.

Taj told state broadcaster IRIB on Tuesday that he would be seeking assurances from the governing body about the treatment of the Iranian delegation in the US.

“We need a guarantee there, for our trip, that they have no right to insult the symbols of our system — especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” he said ​on the sidelines of a pro-government night rally in Tehran.

“This is something they must pay serious attention to. If there is such a ​guarantee and the responsibility is clearly assumed, then an incident like what happened in Canada will not happen again.”

‘Our host is FIFA’

The US, Canada and Mexico ‌are ⁠co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 World Cup, with Iran scheduled to play two group games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the tournament, but no one with ties to the IRGC would be admitted to the country.

Taj, who served as a high-ranking official with the IRGC in Isfahan Province before moving into ​soccer administration, said anything short of ​cast-iron guarantees could result in ⁠the Iranian delegation turning back at the US border.

“We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is FIFA - not Mr Trump or America,” he added.

“If they accept hosting us, ​then they must also accept that they must not insult our military institutions in any way.

“Because if ​they do, then ⁠naturally it could create the same kind of situation that happened in Canada, where there was a possibility we might have to return.

“So there must be this kind of guarantee so that we can go with peace of mind.”

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been in question since ⁠the US ​and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February.

With Iranian top-flight football ​suspended, the home-based players have been in a training camp in Tehran preparing for the tournament.

Taj said the FFIRI were hoping to set up at least one friendly with a “very ​good team” in neighbouring Turkey, where Iran played matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica in late March.

A CMA CGM container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of ‌Hormuz, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, the French group said, as the US-Iran conflict left traffic in the crucial oil and trade corridor at a standstill.

The incident, which CMA CGM said occurred on Tuesday, was the latest attack on ships since the war erupted, stranding hundreds of vessels and disrupting 20% of global oil trade.

Washington ​launched an operation on Monday to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠allowing two US-flagged vessels to exit the Gulf. However, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the ​effort would be briefly paused amid talks aimed at a broader deal with Iran.

Shipping through the Strait was effectively ​halted over the past 24 hours, with tracking data showing no vessels transiting the waterway.

Tehran, meanwhile, issued a map of the waterway by expanding a zone it said was subject to its control, its state media reported.

Injured crew getting treatment

CMA ​CGM said on Wednesday that the injured crew from the San Antonio vessel were evacuated and receiving medical ​treatment, declining further comment.

Eight crew members were wounded, the UN’s International Maritime Organisation said, in the 32nd such incident ‌since the ⁠war began.

France was not specifically targeted, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said, adding the crew was from the Philippines.

A maritime security source said the ship was struck by an Iranian projectile while attempting a night transit near Oman.

It was unclear if it was sailing under the now‑paused US escort operation to release stranded ​ships.

Transits without coordination with Iran at risk

“While a few ⁠ships made it out safely while ‘Project Freedom’ was in place, it was clear that transits without coordination with Iran entailed significant risk,” said Jakob Larsen, ​chief safety and security officer with shipping association BIMCO.

The French firm, the world’s ​third-largest container ⁠shipping line, has indicated that 14 of its vessels were stranded in the Gulf at the start of the war. One ship, the CMA CGM Kribi, exited the Strait of Hormuz at the start of April.

The Maltese-flagged ⁠San Antonio’s ​destination was marked as Mundra in India, according to shipping ​data.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that ​Iran wants to negotiate and ‌make a deal, adding that the US was doing very well in Iran and ​that it was going very ​smoothly.

“We’re doing very well in Iran. ⁠It’s going very smoothly, and we’ll ​see what happens. They want to ​make a deal, they want to negotiate,” Trump said at an event at the White ​House.

“We’re dealing with people that ​want to make a deal very much, and ‌we’ll ⁠see whether or not they can make a deal that’s satisfactory to us.”

The United States ‌would get enriched uranium from Iran, “We’re going to get ​it,” Trump told a reporter as he left a White ​House event.

One of ​Trump’s central objectives in launching ‌military ⁠strikes against Iran was to ensure Tehran does not develop a ​nuclear weapon. ​Iran ⁠has yet to hand over ​more than 900 pounds (408 ​kg) ⁠of highly enriched uranium.

Iran said it was reviewing a ​new US ​proposal on ⁠Wednesday, after sources said Washington and Tehran were closing ​in on a one-page memorandum ​to end the war in the Gulf while leaving tricky issues such as Iran’s ⁠nuclear ​program for later.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump threatened to intensify military strikes against Iran if Tehran did not comply with the conditions of an agreement, in a post on Truth Social.

Trump promises that a deal would bring an end to what he called Operation Epic Fury and guarantee open access to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said that if Iran accepted the conditions, Operation Epic Fury would be called off and the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global waterway — would be opened to all nations, including Iran itself.

“All countries, including Iran, will be given access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said, adding that the offer was contingent on Iranian compliance.

The president warned, however, that a failure to comply would lead to an escalation of American attacks on Iran.

Separately, Trump said that it was “too soon” to consider face-to-face talks with Iranian leaders, according to an interview with the New York Post.

The US Department of Homeland Security identified the US-Israeli war with Iran as a potential motive for the man accused of attempting ​to assassinate President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration at a White House reporters’ gala last month, according to an ‌intelligence report sent to state and local law enforcement nationwide and other federal agencies.

The report, a preliminary assessment by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis dated April 27, assessed that the suspect Cole Allen had “multiple social and political grievances.”

It concluded that the Iran conflict “may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack,” citing social ​media posts from Allen that criticised US actions in the war.

The assessment sheds new light on the US government’s search for a motive ​in the foiled attack on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25.

Its conclusions, while preliminary, offer the most ⁠definitive evidence to date that the Iran conflict, which has killed thousands in the Middle East and rattled the global economy, could have been a trigger.

The ​report, marked as a “Critical Incident Note,” was obtained through open records requests by the transparency nonprofit Property of the People and shared with Reuters.

Spokespeople for DHS and ​the US Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

On Tuesday, the US Justice Department added a charge of assault on a federal officer, accusing Allen of firing at a US Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint, in addition to attempted assassination, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal ​transportation of a firearm and ammunition across state lines. He has not yet entered a plea.

FBI examines social media

US officials have so far said little ​about Allen’s alleged motivation, pointing only to an email Allen sent to relatives on the night of the attack.

The message, which officials have called a manifesto, expressed anger ‌at the ⁠administration and referred to his desire to target the “traitor” giving a speech, without mentioning Trump by name.

In court documents, prosecutors have alleged that Allen “disagreed” with Trump politically and “wanted to ‘fight back’ against government policies and decisions that he found morally objectionable.”

The FBI has been carrying out a detailed examination of Allen’s social media activity and digital footprint in searching for a motive for the attack, a senior law enforcement official told Reuters, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“It’s being closely looked ​at,” the official told Reuters.

The examination ​includes a review of posts on ⁠a Bluesky social media account linked to Allen that posted and shared a range of anti-Trump messages in the weeks leading up to the attack.

The posts include criticism of the US actions in Iran but also broadsides against ​the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, Elon Musk, and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The account shared a post calling for ​Trump to be impeached ⁠over his April 7 threat to destroy Iranian civilisation, which came hours before Trump agreed to a ceasefire.

It also shared criticism of reporters who planned to attend the press dinner.

The FBI has also reviewed a 2024 post in which an account connected to Allen, while quoting a Bible verse, appears to call Trump “the devil” in ⁠response to ​a message from Trump’s daughter Tiffany.

The focus on Allen’s online activity is in part to stave ​off conspiracy theories about the motive and online activity of the suspected shooter, the official said, adding that speculation about the online activity of the man who fired at Trump during a ​2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, had sparked widely spread conspiracy theories.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Iran will not yield to US “bullying” and is open to dialogue only within the framework of international law.

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a phone call with Iraqi prime minister-designate Ali Faleh Al Zaidi, during which the two leaders discussed challenges facing the region amid ongoing tensions following US and Israeli strikes against Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for dialogue if approached logically, but the language of threats will achieve nothing,” Pezeshkian said, emphasising Iran’s refusal to submit to coercion.

The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Tehran in the region.

A temporary ceasefire brokered by Pakistan came into effect on April 8, but peace talks in Islamabad faltered over Washington’s maximalist demands.

Despite the ceasefire, Pezeshkian warned that continued US threats and the naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf, which Tehran has called “piracy,” jeopardise regional security.

He also reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to maintaining good relations with Gulf Arab states.

The Iranian president highlighted the importance of unity among Muslim nations and stressed that Iran seeks peaceful cooperation: “If the right, fair, and just path is followed, there will be no reason left for disagreement,” he said.

French shipping group CMA CGM said on Wednesday that one of its vessels, ​the San Antonio, had been the target of ‌an attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel.

The incident, which ​CMA CGM said occurred on Tuesday, is the latest ​disruption in the crucial shipping route during the ⁠Middle East conflict.

The war has blocked hundreds of vessels ​and brought roughly 20% of global oil trade to ​a virtual standstill.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of ​Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

CMA ​CGM said injured crew members from the San Antonio have been evacuated ‌and ⁠are being provided with medical care. It declined to comment further on the incident.

CMA CGM had reported last month that one of its vessels was the target of warning ​shots in the ​strait, although ⁠no crew members were injured.

The French firm, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, has indicated ​that 14 of its vessels were stranded ​in the ⁠Gulf at the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

One ship, the CMA CGM Kribi, exited the Strait of ⁠Hormuz ​at the start of April.

The Maltese-flagged ​San Antonio’s destination is marked as Mundra in India, according to shipping data.

The US national average retail price of ​gasoline surpassed $4.50 a gallon on Tuesday for the first time since July 2022, data from GasBuddy ‌showed, as the US-Israeli war with Iran kept disrupting a substantial portion of global oil supplies shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the US Memorial Day weekend approaches and with it peak summer driving season, surging pump prices pose a major political risk for President ​Donald Trump and his Republican Party as they campaign for midterm elections in November.

Without de-escalation in ​the Middle East, analysts say US motor fuel prices could rise past prior records.

The national ⁠average price of gasoline stood at $4.52 a gallon as of 5.20pm ET on Tuesday, GasBuddy data showed.

Prices ​breached $4 in late March, a level last reached in August 2022 after Russia’s military attack on Ukraine.

California had the highest ​average pump price in the country at $6.14 a gallon, according to GasBuddy data.

Gasoline prices have surged along with a rally in crude oil futures on fears of prolonged disruption in the Gulf.

The global Brent crude benchmark has jumped 58% since the war began.

“The ​Strait of Hormuz shutdown continues to slowly push oil and gasoline prices higher, but we’ve also seen refining issues ​that have enhanced some of those increases,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said.

Last week, BP’s 440,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana, experienced ‌a ⁠brief power outage that caused one of its processing units to be shut down.

Operations have since been restored, the company said.

“If the Strait of Hormuz does not open, I would expect that gas prices this summer would probably stay above $4.50 a gallon,” De Haan said.

Before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, about 20% of global ​oil supplies passed through the ​Strait daily.

Morgan Stanley said ⁠US gasoline inventories were drawing faster than the normal seasonal pattern.

Its base case pointed to stocks falling below 200 million barrels by late August, near historical summer lows.

US ​gasoline stocks fell over 6 million barrels last week and stood at 222.3 million ​barrels by April ⁠24, the lowest since December, more than 2 million barrels below the five-year seasonal average, EIA data showed.

Gasoline demand hit 8.95 million barrels on a four-week average basis, up 1% from the same time last year, the data showed.

Morgan ⁠Stanley added ​that demand has held up despite $4-plus pump prices.

“It is not driving ​the draws, but it’s also not soft enough to slow the supply-driven stock draws.”

US gasoline futures were trading around $3.64 a gallon on Tuesday, hovering ​at their highest level since 2022.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump regarding a pause in the Project Freedom initiative in the Strait of Hormuz at Pakistan’s request.

In a post on X, the prime minister expressed gratitude to President Trump for a courageous leadership and a timely decision to de-escalate tensions in the region.

“I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote.

Shehbaz noted that President Trump’s response to requests from Pakistan and other countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, would contribute positively to regional peace, stability, and reconciliation during a sensitive period.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at restraint and the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.

“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” he added.

Earlier, President Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, stated that the decision was made following requests from Pakistan and other nations.

He cited “tremendous military success” during a campaign against Iran, along with significant progress toward a comprehensive agreement with Iranian representatives.

Trump added that while the blockade would remain in effect, Project Freedom, described as the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, would be paused temporarily to allow time for a potential agreement to be finalised and signed.