Iranian officials are considering a new proposal from the U.S. that could jump-start peace negotiations as President Trump threatens to resume a devastating bombing campaign if Tehran does not agree.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran is reviewing the proposal and would submit an official response to Pakistani mediators.
The terms offered to Iran by the Trump administration earlier this week, have not been made public, but some Iranians familiar with the proposal have dismissed the one-page memorandum as a list of “American wishes” rather than a serious offer.
The proposed deal reportedly calls for more negotiations over a 30-day window, during which time the Strait of Hormuz would remain open.
Tensions in the strait, which Iran has kept effectively closed for two months, continued on Wednesday after a Navy jet fighter disabled an Iran-flagged oil tanker trying to breach the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, reported that a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired several rounds at the M/T Hasna after the Iranian-flagged vessel failed to heed repeated warnings that it was violating the U.S. blockade.
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“Centcom forces continue to act deliberately and professionally to ensure compliance,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Iran at a “much higher level” unless the regime agreed to the terms of the latest American offer.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Mr. Trump said on social media. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
The threat follows an abrupt pause of “Project Freedom,” the U.S. effort to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for commercial ships. Mr. Trump, citing positive diplomatic developments with Iran, announced the pause on Tuesday.
Iran reacted furiously to the American guarantees with a series of attacks on commercial and U.S. naval vessels in regional waters. The United Arab Emirates also reported intercepting over a dozen Iranian missiles on Monday and reported fires at its oil facilities.
The attacks underscore Iran’s continued ability to strike at the Gulf region’s most valuable assets despite enduring weeks of intense U.S. and Israeli bombardments. The attacks also follow the UAE’s consequential departure from OPEC last week.
SEE ALSO: Navy jet fighter disabled an Iran-flagged oil tanker trying to breach U.S. blockade
“The recent attacks on the UAE are particularly important because they were directed at the UAE’s oil facilities in Fujairah, which have been a critical lifeline for the country’s oil industry during the war,” said Caleb Jasso, a senior policy adviser at the Institute for Energy Research. “Although not the first time the area has been subject to attacks, the timing of the most recent ones can’t be ignored, given the UAE’s recent departure from OPEC.”
Before the pause, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the effort as a purely peaceful initiative and said American forces would not fire unless fired upon. Mr. Rubio added that the shooting phase of the war was over.
Still, CENTCOM said U.S. forces in the region sank at least six small Iranian boats on Monday.
The U.S. is maintaining an active blockade of Iranian ports, launched in late April, that is aimed at further pressuring Iran’s economy.
U.S. forces have turned away nearly 50 vessels trying to enter or exit Iranian ports since the start of the blockade. They have also seized several vessels traveling in the Indo-Pacific region that were allegedly carrying Iranian cargo.
At least 20% of the world’s oil travels through the Strait of Hormuz each year, and its closure has caused energy prices to climb significantly.
While Brent crude oil prices dropped from about $108 a barrel to $100 on Wednesday in response to positive diplomatic developments, prices are still well above pre-war levels.
The energy crisis has forced U.S. gas prices up dramatically to an average of $4.50 a gallon, putting severe political pressure on Mr. Trump to end the war.
But diplomacy between Iran and the U.S. has remained relatively muted after the launch of the U.S. blockade. It has now been nearly one month since the two parties met face to face in Islamabad, Pakistan. Both delegations cited positive developments, but noted that both sides were far apart on demands.
Since then, U.S. and Iranian officials have been working quietly behind the scenes. Publicly, Washington has demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear program, dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But Iran maintains that it has a right to enrich uranium and will continue oversight of the waterway after a peace deal is reached.
Along with Pakistan, China and Russia have offered to provide diplomatic support for a peaceful resolution to the war.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister who participated in talks with the U.S. last month, met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday to discuss the status of negotiations. Mr. Wang stressed China’s continued support of Iran but said that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened quickly.
“We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed, that a resumption of hostilities is not acceptable, and that it is particularly important to remain committed to dialogue and negotiations,” Mr. Wang said, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.
