Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States and Iran made progress in ongoing peace negotiations, while warning that the U.S. could resume military strikes if no agreement is reached.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the U.S. had “very good talks” with Iranian leaders over the previous 24 hours and claimed Iran was seeking a deal.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts,” Trump wrote on social media, adding that future attacks would be “at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Earlier Wednesday, United States Central Command reported that a U.S. fighter jet disabled the rudder of an Iranian tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly attempted to breach a blockade of Iranian ports.
The military later said U.S. forces intercepted Iranian attacks targeting three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Central Command, U.S. destroyers passing through the strait came under what it described as “unprovoked Iranian attacks,” prompting retaliatory strikes against Iranian military sites linked to assaults on American forces.
The military said no U.S. ships sustained damage and stated that it was not seeking to escalate tensions but remained prepared to defend American personnel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was reviewing the latest U.S. proposal to end the conflict. He told Iranian state television that Iran rejected an earlier proposal reported by Axios.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said he expected the United States and Iran to reach an agreement “sooner rather than later.”
“We hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well,” Andrabi said.