US and Iran Agree to Ceasefire

Despite the exchanges, President Donald Trump has insisted the month-old ceasefire remains in effect. Hours before the tanker strikes, the military said it prevented assaults on its vessels in the critical waterway. The U.S. military released video showing an American fighter jet striking the smokestacks of the two Iranian tankers.

Earlier in the week, a U.S. jet disabled the rudder of another tanker the military said was trying to breach the blockade. Bahrain announced Saturday that it had arrested 41 people it alleges are part of a group affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

The nation's interior ministry said investigations are ongoing and legal proceedings are under way. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet regional headquarters. Iran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz for global energy shipments since the U.S. and Israel began the war on Feb.

28. That closure, combined with the U.S. counter-blockade of Iranian ports, has driven a global spike in fuel prices and rattled markets. A U.S. strike overnight also killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire, according to an Iranian judiciary-affiliated news agency.

Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the country was not paying attention to deadlines and that Tehran continues reviewing the U.S. proposal.

A top Iranian official also stated that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was in complete health and would eventually appear in public. The comments about Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the war began, were made by Mazaher Hosseini at a pro-government gathering.

Hosseini, who is affiliated with the office of Iran's former Supreme Leader, said Khamenei had suffered knee and back injuries that have largely healed. The absence of verified images or video of Khamenei has fueled speculation about his status. Britain's defense ministry said it is deploying the destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East to join a potential mission protecting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz once a sustainable ceasefire takes hold.

France has moved its aircraft carrier strike group into the Red Sea in preparation for similar duties. Both countries have led planning meetings with several dozen nations on a coalition to restore freedom of navigation, but stressed it will not begin until hostilities fully end and maritime safety is assured.

Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show an oil slick in the Persian Gulf covering about 71 square kilometers and emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export terminal. The slick was first detected Tuesday and appears to have spilled the equivalent of roughly 80,000 barrels of oil.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI CEO Ami Daniel said the spill is spreading southwest and could reach the shores of neighboring countries within two weeks. It remains unknown whether the spill resulted from a malfunction, an airstrike or other cause.

The imagery indicates it began before the most recent U.S. strikes on Friday. The Pentagon declined to comment on whether the U.S. military was tracking the spill or had conducted recent strikes on the island. Russia and Saudi Arabia called for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a sustainable long-term agreement to end the war.

Egyptian and Qatari diplomats reiterated that diplomacy is the only path to a solution. Pakistan's prime minister said his country has maintained day-and-night contact with the U.S. and Iran to extend the ceasefire and secure a peace deal. The U.S. has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept the proposed agreement.