Calm holds around Strait of Hormuz as Iran sits on US peace proposal

Washington | Cairo: A state of relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the US waited for Iran's response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But a day later, there was no sign of movement from Tehran on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

With US President Donald Trump due to begin a long-awaited visit to China next week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the conflict.

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On Friday, there were sporadic clashes between Iranian forces and US vessels in the strait, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported. The Tasnim news agency later cited an Iranian military source saying the situation had calmed but warning more clashes were possible.

The US military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, with a US fighter jet hitting their smokestacks and forcing them to turn back.

The US imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month. But a CIA assessment indicated Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a US blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a US official familiar with the matter.

A senior intelligence official characterised as false the "claims" about the CIA analysis, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

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Meanwhile, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said Saturday it had arrested 41 people it alleges are part of a group affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.