Efforts to end the war between the U.S. and Iran appeared to stall as the two sides traded fire in the Gulf on Friday (May 8, 2026), while a U.S. intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for months.
A CIA assessment indicated that Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, suggesting that U.S. leverage over Tehran remains limited as the two sides seek to end a conflict that has been unpopular with U.S. voters.
Iran-Israel war LIVE- May 9, 2026
The Washington Post first reported the assessment. 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 (May 8, 2026).
Washington is 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. “We should know something today,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome earlier in the day. “We’re expecting a response from them.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response, and none was reported by mid-afternoon in Washington, just before midnight in Tehran.
