Iran Submits Response to US Proposal Amid Escalating Tensions in West Asia

Iran has formally submitted its answer to the latest American proposal for ending the war in West Asia, according to state media. The Islamic Republic’s state news agency IRNA confirmed on Sunday that the response was handed over, though it gave no details of its contents beyond saying that negotiations at this stage would focus on ending the conflict in the region. The development came as US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar’s prime minister to discuss the ongoing war, underscoring the intense diplomatic activity surrounding the conflict now entering its third month. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate sharply. Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 22 people on Saturday, among them four children, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military said it had killed ten Hezbollah fighters and struck the group’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded with three separate attacks on Israeli forces, even as Washington’s brokered ceasefire remains nominally in place. The Strait of Hormuz has become the sharpest flashpoint in the standoff between Iran and the United States. An Iranian military official warned on Sunday that countries complying with US sanctions against Tehran will face difficulties when their ships use the waterway. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard went further warning that any attack on Iranian commercial vessels would trigger strikes on US targets across the region, with missiles already locked onto their marks. The threats came as a bulk carrier was struck roughly 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, Qatar, causing a small fire that was subsequently contained. Kuwait said hostile drones had entered its airspace and were dealt with by its military. Hours later, the UAE reported intercepting two drones originating from Iran. Meanwhile britain announced it is deploying the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon to the region to join an international mission aimed at keeping the strait open.