Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on Saturday warned that American military sites in the Middle East could be targeted if Iranian oil tankers or commercial ships are attacked again. The warning came after US forces reportedly struck two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman, according to Iranian media reports.
The IRGC said, “Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships.” The statement highlighted the growing tensions between Tehran and Washington as both sides continue to exchange threats and military actions.
The latest developments come while the United States waits for Iran’s response to a new proposal aimed at reaching a peace agreement. On Friday, US President Donald Trump said he expected Tehran to reply to Washington’s latest offer “supposedly tonight”.
However, no official public response from Iran had emerged by Saturday. Reports suggested that if Tehran had communicated through Pakistani mediators, the details were not made public.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also appeared doubtful about Washington’s commitment to diplomacy. Speaking with Turkey’s foreign minister, Araghchi reportedly criticised recent US military actions in the Gulf region.
“The recent escalation of tensions by American forces in the Persian Gulf and their numerous actions in violating the ceasefire have added to suspicions about the motivation and seriousness of the American side in the path of diplomacy,” he said, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
US-Iran Naval Clash Escalates
On Friday, a US fighter jet reportedly attacked and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Washington claimed the vessels had violated its blockade against Iranian ports.
An Iranian military official later told local media that Iran’s navy had launched retaliatory strikes in response to the attack.
The incident followed another confrontation near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Iran has been attempting to tighten its control over the strategic waterway to gain economic and political leverage over the United States and its allies.
The United States has repeatedly stated that Iran controlling the key shipping route is unacceptable because a major share of global oil trade passes through the strait.
The current conflict began nearly 10 weeks ago after joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran. Since then, several mediation efforts have taken place to prevent a wider regional war.
Washington has now reportedly sent a proposal to Tehran through Pakistani mediators, suggesting an extension of the temporary truce in the Gulf to allow more negotiations for a long-term settlement.
French broadcaster LCI reporter Margot Haddad said Trump told her in a brief interview that he expected Iran’s answer “very soon”.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the proposal was still “under review”.
Qatar Holds Talks With US Officials
As diplomatic efforts continued, top US diplomat Marco Rubio met Qatar’s leadership on Saturday. Qatar has played a major role in mediating discussions between Washington and Tehran.
According to the US State Department, the talks focused on “continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had also met US Vice President JD Vance a day earlier to discuss Pakistan-backed peace efforts.
Qatar has found itself caught in the middle of the conflict because it hosts a major American military air base. During the war, Iran had already launched attacks on sites inside Qatar, citing the Gulf nation’s close military ties with Washington.
Oil Spill Reported Near Iran’s Kharg Island
At the same time, satellite images revealed what appeared to be a large oil slick near Iran’s Kharg Island, one of the country’s main oil export terminals.
The spill was spotted off the island’s western coastline and reportedly stretched across more than 20 square miles, according to monitoring organisation Orbital EOS.
Officials have not confirmed the exact cause of the spill. However, the UK-based Conflict and Environment Observatory told AFP that by Saturday the slick had become “much reduced” and may have resulted from leaking oil infrastructure.
Kharg Island remains a critical part of Iran’s oil export system and is considered essential to the country’s struggling economy.
Since the conflict began on February 28, Iran had largely restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, creating panic in global energy markets and pushing oil prices higher worldwide.
In response, the United States later enforced its own blockade on Iranian ports. Trump also recently ended a short-term US naval mission that aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping.
Fighting Intensifies on Lebanon Front
The regional conflict has also continued to spread into Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese authorities said at least nine people were killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday. State media also reported fresh attacks on a highway south of Beirut, outside Hezbollah’s traditional areas of influence.
The latest strikes were described as some of the strongest attacks since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect three weeks ago.
Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed it launched drones at Israeli troops in northern Israel on at least two occasions as retaliation for ongoing Israeli attacks.
Israel’s military confirmed that several explosive drones entered Israeli territory. According to Israeli officials, one army reservist was seriously injured while two others suffered moderate injuries.
The violence comes just days before Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold direct negotiations in Washington next week. Hezbollah has strongly opposed the planned talks, even though the two countries have technically remained at war since 1948.
