Uncertainty continues over the next steps for possible US-Iran talks after US President Donald Trump said Washington had extended the ceasefire in the conflict at Pakistan’s request, while waiting for what he called a “unified proposal” from Tehran.
Iran has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement. Both sides have also warned they could resume fighting if no agreement is reached.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump said Iran does not want the Strait of Hormuz closed because it relies on the route to export crude oil. He also earlier indicated that the US military would maintain pressure on Iranian ports.
The developments come as tensions remain high across the wider region. Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon exchanged fire on Tuesday, despite a recent 10-day ceasefire. Talks in Washington are expected later this week.
The conflict has already caused heavy casualties, with thousands killed in Iran and Lebanon and deaths also reported in Israel and Gulf Arab states, along with losses among soldiers and US personnel in the region.
In a separate development, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, damaging the vessel, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said the incident occurred around 7:55am when a Guard gunboat fired without first contacting the ship. No injuries or environmental damage were reported.
Iranian media outlets linked to the Revolutionary Guard confirmed the incident, with one describing the move as enforcement of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow waterway, through which a large share of global oil shipments passes, is widely regarded as an international shipping route despite lying between Iranian and Omani waters.
The incident follows recent US actions in the region, including the seizure of an Iranian-linked ship and the boarding of an oil tanker associated with Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean, further heightening tensions.