U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday (local time) that he expects to receive Iran's response soon regarding the ceasefire conditions proposed by the United States.
Meeting reporters at the White House, Trump said, "We will probably receive a letter (from Iran) tonight," adding, "We'll see how it goes." The U.S. and Iran have been in a ceasefire since the 7th of last month. The two countries have continued backchannel negotiations through Pakistan's mediation, even after their first high-level talks on the 11th and 12th of last month ended without agreement.
The U.S. is known to have demanded that Iran halt uranium enrichment for 20 years and gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz as conditions for ending the conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Italy, also said Wednesday, "We hope Iran will put forward a serious proposal within a few hours."
Asked whether Iran was deliberately delaying the ceasefire negotiations, Trump replied, "We'll find out soon."
Tense military clashes also continued. The U.S. on Wednesday disabled two Iranian oil tankers attempting to break through the maritime blockade of Iran and enter a port in the Gulf of Oman. Iran also confirmed the incident, announcing that a "limited engagement" had occurred between the two sides.
According to U.S. Central Command, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters launched from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush fired precision-guided munitions at the smokestacks of the two tankers. Iran characterized the clash as "limited," appearing to manage its impact on the ceasefire negotiations. Rubio warned, "This clash is separate from Operation Epic Fury, and the U.S. will respond defensively," but added, "If they threaten Americans, we will strike back (blow them up) without mercy."
Meanwhile, Trump responded "I love Korea" to a question regarding the recent fire on the Korean cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz. Reporters pointed out that "Iran has denied claims of attacking a Korean vessel," but Trump gave an unrelated answer.
Earlier, on the 4th of this month, Trump claimed that the Namu had been attacked by Iran while acting alone, pressing Korea to contribute more. A government investigation team boarded the vessel, which was towed to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and began a full-scale probe into the cause on Wednesday. The Korean government maintains its position that the cause of the incident has not yet been determined.
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