Relative calmprevailed around the Strait of Hormuz early on Sunday after daysof sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran'sresponse to its latest proposals to end more than two months offighting and begin peace talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday thatWashington expected a response within hours. But there have beenno signs of movement from Tehran on the proposal, which wouldformally end the war before talks on more contentious issues,including Iran's nuclear program.

Rubio met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahmanal-Thani in Miami on Saturday and discussed the need to continueworking together "to deter threats and promote stability andsecurity across the Middle East," the State Department said in astatement, which did not mention Iran.

A reporter for French broadcaster LCI, Margot Haddad, saidon Saturday that Trump had told her in a brief interview that hestill expected to find out Iran's answer "very soon".

 

QATARI TANKER APPROACHES VITAL STRAIT

With U.S. President Donald Trump due to visit China thisweek, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under thewar, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses agrowing threat to the world economy.

A Qatari tanker of liquefied natural gas was sailing towardthe strait on Saturday en route to Pakistan, according to LSEGshipping data, a move sources said was approved by Iran to buildconfidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the war.

If completed, it would mark the first transit of a QatariLNG vessel through the strait since the U.S. and Israel startedthe war on February 28.

Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through thenarrow strait, which before the war carried one-fifth of theworld's oil supply.

Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting inand around the strait since a ceasefire began a month ago, andthe United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.

On Friday, there were sporadic clashes between Iranianforces and U.S. vessels in the strait, Iran's semi-official Farsnews agency reported.

The U.S. military said it struck two Iran-linked vesselsattempting to enter an Iranian port, forcing them to turn back.

 

CEASEFIRE HOLDING DESPITE FLARE-UPS, TRUMP SAYS

Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month.But a CIA assessment indicated Iran would not suffer severeeconomic pressure from a U.S. blockade for about another fourmonths, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter,raising questions about Trump's leverage over Tehran in aconflict that has been unpopular with voters and U.S. allies.

A senior intelligence official characterised as false the"claims" about the CIA analysis, which was first reported by theWashington Post.

Trump said on Thursday the ceasefire was holding despitethe flare-ups, while Iran accused the U.S. of breaching it.

"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S.opts for a reckless military adventure," Foreign Minister AbbasAraqchi said on Friday.

The U.S. has found little international support in theconflict. After meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni onFriday, Rubio questioned why Italy and other allies were notbacking Washington's efforts to reopen the strait, warning of adangerous precedent if Tehran were allowed to control aninternational waterway.

Britain, which has been working with France on a proposal toensure safe transit through the strait once the situationstabilises, said on Saturday it was deploying a warship to theMiddle East in ​preparation for such a multinational mission.