U.S. Rejects Claims of Maritime Deal Amid Continued Strikes on Iran

The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated over the last 24 hours as the Trump administration continued military operations while simultaneously dismissing diplomatic rumors. U.S. forces launched new overnight airstrikes against a military site within Iran, persisting with a strategy of direct engagement. These strikes follow a pattern of recent U.S. military actions aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities. On the diplomatic front, a significant rift emerged after Iranian state television claimed the existence of a draft memorandum of understanding. The purported framework focused specifically on maritime security, seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore commercial shipping to pre-war levels within a month. According to the report, the arrangement would have involved Iran and Oman in managing ship routing. The White House immediately moved to debunk these claims, describing the report of a maritime agreement as a "complete fabrication." Officials emphasized that no such draft exists and that there is currently no formal movement toward the specific shipping arrangement described by Tehran. While the military and diplomatic spheres remain active, there have been no confirmed updates regarding nuclear program shifts or new sanctions in this reporting period.