Donald Trump said on Friday that he expected a response from Iran by nightfall regarding Washington’s latest proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between the two countries, even as Tehran indicated it was still reviewing the offer and had not yet reached a final decision.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House before leaving for his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said he expected communication from Tehran soon and suggested that the coming hours could be important for the future of negotiations.
“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight. So we’ll see how that goes,” Trump told reporters. When asked whether Iran was deliberately slowing down the process, he responded, “We’ll find out soon enough.”
According to reports citing Iranian media outlets, Tehran is still examining messages and diplomatic proposals sent by the United States through Pakistani intermediaries and has not yet finalised its official response to the American proposal.
The proposed agreement reportedly consists of a one-page, 14-point memorandum intended to stop the fighting temporarily and open formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran over broader political and security issues.
Under the proposal, Iran could agree to pause parts of its nuclear enrichment programme, while the United States may ease certain sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian financial assets held abroad.
The proposal also reportedly contains measures aimed at reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which has become the centre of repeated military confrontations in recent weeks and remains one of the world’s most important global oil transit corridors.
As part of the framework, both countries would enter into a 30-day negotiation period designed to pave the way for a larger long-term agreement addressing the war, regional security issues and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, tensions in the Gulf region continued to remain high. An Iranian military source warned that clashes could resume if American forces again attempted to interfere with Iranian vessels operating in or around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted military officials as saying the situation was currently “calm” but warned that further confrontations remained possible if US naval activity intensified.
Earlier, Fars News Agency reported sporadic clashes between Iranian forces and US naval vessels in the strategic waterway following military operations carried out by both sides.
The escalation came after the United States Central Command announced that American forces had struck two empty Iranian-flagged oil tankers that were allegedly attempting to bypass an ongoing US blockade by entering an Iranian port through the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM also said American forces launched defensive strikes against Iranian military targets after Iranian forces allegedly attacked three US destroyers moving through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
According to the US military statement, missiles, drones and fast attack boats were used against American naval vessels, though the destroyers reportedly completed their transit successfully without major damage.
Iran’s central military command, however, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and escalating tensions despite ongoing diplomatic discussions.
Following the clashes, Trump issued another warning to Tehran through his social media platform Truth Social, urging Iran to quickly agree to the proposed deal and warning of harsher military consequences if tensions continued.
“We’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST!” Trump wrote.
At the same time, Trump attempted to downplay the seriousness of the latest military exchange during an interview with ABC News, describing the strikes as only a “love tap” while insisting that the ceasefire with Iran technically remained in place despite the recent clashes.
