U.S.-Iran War Diplomacy Stalls as Hormuz Tensions Flare

CNBC reported Saturday that Washington is still waiting for Tehran’s formal reply to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending more than two months of active conflict. The silence comes despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Friday that a response was expected within hours.

Diplomacy at a Standstill

Rubio met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Miami on Saturday. The State Department said the two discussed regional stability and deterring threats across the Middle East. Axios, citing two sources familiar with the gathering, noted that envoy Steve Witkoff also attended the talks. The U.S. proposal would formally end hostilities before any negotiations on harder issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, begin.

With President Donald Trump set to visit China next week, there is growing pressure to resolve a conflict that has badly disrupted global energy flows.

Ceasefire Tested by Fresh Clashes

The Strait of Hormuz has seen its sharpest fighting since a ceasefire was declared on April 7. On Friday, sporadic exchanges between Iranian and U.S. naval forces broke out in the waterway, according to Iranian state-linked media. The U.S. military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, hitting their smokestacks and forcing both ships to turn back.

Beyond the strait, the UAE said its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran on Friday. Three people sustained moderate injuries. Iran has repeatedly struck Gulf states hosting U.S. military installations.

The flare-ups followed Trump’s brief announcement of “Project Freedom,” a plan to escort commercial ships through the strait that he paused after just 48 hours.

Background: A Blocked Waterway and Economic Fallout

Iran has largely shut non-Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 triggered the conflict. Before fighting started, roughly one-fifth of global oil supply transited that narrow passage. The U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month, though an intelligence assessment reportedly concluded Iran could withstand that economic pressure for around four more months.

A CIA analysis cited by the Washington Post suggested U.S. leverage over Tehran may be weaker than assumed. A senior intelligence official pushed back, calling the framing false.

A Confidence-Building Tanker Run

One sign of cautious diplomacy persisted Saturday. A Qatari LNG vessel headed toward the strait, bound for Pakistan, according to LSEG shipping data. Sources told CNBC Iran approved the transit to signal goodwill toward Qatar and Pakistan, both acting as mediators. If completed, it would be the first Qatari LNG passage through the strait since the war began.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Washington of undermining talks with military moves. European allies, including Germany, said they share the goal of preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon but remain at odds with U.S. methods.

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