Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.

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Washington has been awaiting Tehran's response to a U.S. proposal that would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program. Speaking in Rome ​on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was expecting a response that day, although an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was ​still weighing its response.

Sporadic clashes continued on Friday between Iranian forces and U.S. vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠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 U.S. has found little international support in the conflict. After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rubio questioned ​why Italy and other ⁠allies were not backing Washington's efforts to reopen the strait, warning of a dangerous precedent if Tehran were allowed to control an international waterway.
While pursuing diplomacy, the U.S. also ratcheted up sanctions to pressure Iran.

Days before Trump travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in ⁠China and ​Hong Kong, for aiding efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons and raw materials used to build ​Tehran's Shahed drones.

Treasury said in a statement it was prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions including those connected to China's independent ​oil refineries.