Trump admin reportedly preparing fresh round of military strikes on Iran

The Trump administration is preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, U.S. media reported Friday, citing sources with direct knowledge of the planning, said Xinhua.

No final decision had been made as of Friday afternoon, CBS News said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that peace negotiations between Iran and the United States are not close to an agreement.

"The ongoing (diplomatic) process and the senior Pakistani officials' presence in Tehran do not mean that we have reached a turning point or determining situation," Baghaei told state-run IRIB TV, as Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi are in Iran's capital for bilateral message exchanges.

"We cannot say to have reached a point where an agreement is close; not necessarily, that is not the case," he said, noting that differences between Iran and the United States are such "deep and numerous," and that diplomacy takes time.

Baghaei emphasized that talks aim to end hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, adding that Iran's nuclear program is not on the agenda at this stage.

The situation of the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. attacks on Iran-linked ships must also be reviewed and discussed, he said.

On Friday, Al Arabiya, citing informed sources, reported that a potential peace agreement between Iran and the United States would include nine clauses.

The draft includes an immediate, comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire on all fronts, guarantees against targeting military, civilian or economic infrastructure, cessation of military operations, and an end to the media war, Al Arabiya reported.

The draft also stipulates respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, freedom of navigation in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, and the establishment of a joint monitoring and conflict resolution mechanism, it said.

Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

Following the truce, Iranian and U.S. delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.

Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistani mediation.

35 more ships cross Hormuz Strait in past 24 hrs: Iran

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Friday that 35 more vessels, including oil tankers, containerships and commercial vessels, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours in coordination with and under the protection of its forces.

In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the Navy said that despite insecurity caused in the strait following the U.S. and Israeli military "aggression" against Iran, its forces have managed to create a safe route for the passage of vessels and the continuation of the global trade.

According to the IRGC Navy, the number of vessels having passed through the waterway stood at 26 during the 24-hour period to Wednesday, and at 31 during the 24-hour period to Thursday.

It has stressed that vessels' passage through the strait must be coordinated with and approved by its forces.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning Feb. 28, when it barred safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.