US Demands Iran Publicly Guarantee Strait of Hormuz Open for Shipping Amid Ceasefire Tensions
The United States is demanding that Iran issue a public statement declaring the Strait of Hormuz open and guaranteeing that vessels transiting the vital waterway will not be attacked, senior US officials said on Friday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted that internal power struggles in Tehran have made it difficult to reach and sustain a deal.
The demand comes as US President Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he views the interim ceasefire deal as 'OVER!' but added that talks aimed at a permanent end to the war would continue. The officials said Trump is giving US negotiators limited time to reach a deal with Iran, while underscoring that the President has a wide range of options if talks collapse.
Iran, however, has resisted the demand. Tehran's diplomat at the United Nations, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, told reporters that any activity in the Strait of Hormuz, including its opening or demining operations, 'rests exclusively with Iran.' He warned that external interference would violate the interim deal, delay restoration of normal commercial navigation, and increase regional tensions.
Iran has asserted that the strait must now be under its sole control and that vessels should begin paying fees to Tehran, despite the waterway being internationally recognized for decades. About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran's grip on the strait during the conflict led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have since dropped from wartime highs of $120 a barrel.
The US officials said the resumption of strikes this week came after what they described as a rogue faction of Iranian hard-liners trying to sabotage the ceasefire. Meanwhile, no one claimed responsibility for airstrikes that hit Iran after the US said it had finished its attacks, leaving questions about other actors targeting the Islamic Republic. Iran responded by launching a wider volley of attacks across the Middle East, targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar, with one person reportedly hurt in Kuwait.
Diplomatic efforts continue. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi plans to discuss the strait with his Omani counterpart in Oman on Saturday, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also held talks with his Iranian counterpart.
