By Alex Milan Durie and Usaid Siddiqui
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States is expecting a response from Tehran on its latest peace proposal at some point today.
- Iran announced that it seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and directed it to the country’s southern coast.
One missing sailor found dead from last night’s US attack: Iranian governor
Mohammad Radmehr, governor of Minab county in southern Iran, says he’s received word that rescuers have found the body of one of five sailors reported missing after a US attack on an Iranian vessel overnight in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Radmehr as saying that search teams are continuing efforts to find the four remaining missing sailors.
Earlier, as we reported, Radmehr said 10 sailors were also injured during the naval confrontation.
Trump administration expressing optimism about potential Iran deal, but insists red lines remain
US officials say they do not want to discuss what is happening in negotiations with Iran in public. What we do understand is that these negotiations are happening both indirectly, through Pakistani mediators, as well as occasionally directly.
We’ve heard words of optimism from many in the Trump administration, with one official saying this is the closest that we are to the end of the conflict since it began. President Trump has also sounded optimistic in recent days. He also pulled back “Project Freedom”, in what was a very short-term attempt by the US to organise shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
It would appear that there is an attempt to meet some kind of reciprocal arrangement, although Trump continues to insist on the red lines he says are included in the latest memorandum that has been delivered to Iran.
Israeli air attacks on south Lebanon kill more than 10 people
A dozen people have been killed in Israeli air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Friday an Israeli air attack on Toura in the Tyre district killed four people, including two women, and injured eight others.
Israeli air attacks on the town of Sultaniyeh also killed four people, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. It said that Israeli forces raded Shaqra, Barashit and Safad al-Batikh in the Bint Jbeil district.
Three people were also reported killed in the village of Al-Zahrani, as attacks struck a car with people inside on the Arab Al-Jal-Houmin Al-Tahta road. A motorcycle was reportedly passing – its driver is one of three killed.
