US Strikes Iranian Tankers, Sparking Retaliation Amid Fragile Truce

A US F/A-18 Super Hornet used precision munitions on Friday to disable two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman, according to US Central Command. The strikes were aimed at preventing the ships from continuing to Iran, and came as Tehran weighed Washington's latest proposal to end the West Asia war.

Iranian officials accused the US of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes, and Iran-backed Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation.

The latest incident has rattled a shaky truce and sparked diplomatic tensions, with Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman saying the US proposal was still under review.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reiterated that it was unacceptable for Tehran to control the crucial oil conduit, and expressed hope that Iran's response to the proposal would be a serious offer.

The immediate outlook is that the US and Iran will continue to negotiate, with Qatar's Prime Minister meeting with US Vice-President J.D. Vance in Washington to discuss the Pakistani-led efforts to broker a permanent peace. The UN Security Council is also expected to address the situation in the coming days.