Arabic version: ترامب يرفض اقتراح السلام الإيراني ويصعد العقوبات البحرية

United States President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s recent peace proposal, stating, “they’re asking for things I can’t agree to”. He also cautioned against prematurely ending the conflict, warning that tensions could resurface “in three more years”. This statement comes as Washington signals a tougher stance on maritime activities linked to Tehran, warning that ships paying tolls or fees to Iran for transiting the Strait of Hormuz could face US sanctions. According to Al Jazeera, a recent poll shows that 61 percent of Americans view Trump’s military actions against Iran as a mistake.

In Iran, fourteen soldiers were killed during operations to defuse unexploded ordnance in the northwestern Zanjan province. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has called for an economic battle to “disappoint” enemies as the war with the US and Israel and years of sanctions take a toll. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced plans to enforce new rules in nearby waters to ensure security and prosperity for the region.

The US Department of State introduced new measures targeting entities linked to Iranian petroleum exports, accusing the Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal in China of facilitating imports of sanctioned crude. Beijing has dismissed these measures as unlawful. Additionally, the State Department approved more than $8.6 billion in military sales to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

In a recent update, Trump informed US lawmakers that hostilities in Iran had ended, responding to pressure to seek congressional authorization for the ongoing conflict. The US Treasury also imposed new sanctions on three Iranian foreign currency exchange firms to cut off Tehran’s financial resources. The USS Gerald R Ford has departed the Middle East after its extended deployment, while two other aircraft carriers – the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George HW Bush – remain in the region.