IRAN is reviewing Washington’s latest response to a proposed ceasefire framework after several rounds of message exchanges mediated by Pakistan, Tehran said today.

It came as the US military announced it had boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman suspected of violating the US blockade.

US Central Command said 94 commercial vessels had been “redirected” and four others “disabled” as Washington continues to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s new Persian Gulf Strait Authority has declared a “supervision area” in the strait requiring a permit for transit, warning that “passage without permission will be considered illegal.”

Amid concerns for global escalation due to rising fuel costs, France dismissed suggestions that Nato should play a role in any international “freedom of navigation” mission.

“It is neither its purpose, nor in reality the appropriate alliance, for it to be focused on an issue in the Middle East and on Hormuz,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Analyst Ali Akbar of the Centre for Strategic Studies said Iran has “kept the door of diplomacy open” but that Washington appears to be demanding either full surrender or a deal entirely on President Donald Trump’s terms.

“That has not worked,” he said, “Iran… only needs to make the war so costly that Trump finds it diplomatically unacceptable to continue.”

While the US has moved on from threats to resume bombing Iran if it does not agree to a peace deal, Israeli figures have indicated eagerness for further war.

Israeli right-wing television anchor Shimon Riklin caused controversy by revealing what he claimed were confidential plans for a renewed attack on Tehran, including the location of a uranium storage facility.

Members of the Israeli parliament criticised the remarks, prompting Mr Riklin to claim his comments were purely hypothetical.

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have killed more than 20 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, as a nominal ceasefire continues to be violated.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,089 people and wounded 9,397 since March 2.

In Gaza, at least five Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks, including strikes on a tent sheltering displaced people and a drone attack on a group of civilians.

Israel’s genocide has killed at least 72,775 people in Gaza and injured a further 172,723 people since October 2023, according to the Palestinian territory’s Health Ministry.