Trump says he expects Iran response on peace talks soon
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared intact on Saturday, even as naval forces traded fire near the Strait of Hormuz and the White House has not said if it received a proposal it was awaiting from Iran to end the war.
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday evening that he expected a response from the Iranians on his peace talks framework "as soon as tonight," although the White House declined to answer questions about whether the proposal had been received yet.
"I'm getting a letter supposedly tonight. So we'll see how that goes," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. "We’ll see whether or not they can get there."
The president has made it clear his top priorities include Iran disavowing its nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded reparations for damage suffered under U.S. and Israeli attacks.
U.S. officials are awaiting the response from Tehran as tensions remain high on the seas after American forces and Iran exchanged fire on Thursday. The Navy reported that on Friday they disabled two Iranian tankers attempting to enter the Islamic republic’s ports.
Gas and oil prices are marginally down amid expectations Iran will respond to Trump’s framework soon.
Meanwhile, State Department officials announced they will convene officials from Israel and Lebanon next week for peace talks. The announcement comes amid reports of ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon that have killed civilians.
UK deploys warship to Middle East
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Britain is deploying a warship to the Middle East to prepare for a joint operation to open the Strait of Hormuz, the country's defense ministry confirmed on May 9.
The HMS Dragon, a Royal Navy destroyer, "will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz," the ministry said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The "pre-positioning" of the ship "is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait, when conditions allow," the statement read.
The U.K. and France announced a "diplomatic" effort to reopen the Strait last month at a summit that convened 51 countries.
Bahrain arrests 41 people linked to Iran's military
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Bahrain, a U.S. ally that Iran has targeted with attacks since the war began, said on May 9 that it had arrested 41 people linked to Iran's military.
The people were members of a group that authorities had determined is linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the country's interior ministry. Prosecutors had also investigated people who expressed sympathy with Iranian attacks on Bahrain, the ministry said.
Trump sanctions 10 people and companies for 'enabling' Iran's military
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
The Trump administration unveiled new sanctions on May 8 against 10 people and companies in the Middle East, Asia and eastern Europe that are "enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons."
The new sanctions target companies and individuals that have procured weapons, including drones and ballistic missiles, for Iran's military, according to a Treasury Department news release. They include companies based in China, Dubai and Hong Kong and Belarussian individuals.
“While the surviving IRGC leaders are trapped like rats in a sinking ship, the Treasury Department is unrelenting in our Economic Fury campaign,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the news release.