The United States has asked Iran to publicly declare that the Strait of Hormuz is open to international shipping and commit to ending attacks on commercial vessels before high-level talks scheduled for Saturday in Oman.
According to US media reports, Tehran has privately admitted to President Donald Trump’s advisers that the recent attacks on ships were a mistake. Iranian officials reportedly blamed the incident on a rogue hardline faction acting without government approval.
President Trump said both countries had agreed to continue negotiations despite this week’s tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington believes breached the ceasefire agreement reached in June.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted Tehran had honoured its commitments, accusing the United States of violating the deal instead.
Under the June ceasefire agreement, Iran pledged to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strategic waterway.
Senior US officials told CBS News that Iranian authorities admitted extremist elements were responsible for firing on the ships in an effort to derail ongoing negotiations.
One US official quoted by CBS said Iranian representatives acknowledged the incident, saying, “We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking.”
US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent Washington during Saturday’s talks. Araqchi will lead the Iranian delegation.
During a briefing on Friday, US officials said regional mediators had delivered a message demanding that Iran publicly announce the Strait of Hormuz is open and guarantee an end to attacks on commercial shipping.
“They’re either going to give us that statement or we’re not having a good outcome for them,” one official told Reuters.
The White House also wants Iran to formally admit that the attacks on commercial vessels were an error.
Meanwhile, Qatar sent a delegation to Tehran on Friday in a fresh effort to ease tensions and support diplomatic talks over security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran had requested further negotiations but insisted Washington now considered the ceasefire over.
Hours later, he warned that the US military would “completely decimate and destroy” Iran if it carried out any plot to assassinate him.
The warning followed reports by the Wall Street Journal and other US media claiming Israel had shared intelligence suggesting Iran recently developed a plan to target the US president.
The reports also came after public calls for Trump’s death were reportedly made during the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in Tehran on February 28, the opening day of the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Although no new attacks were reported on Friday, tensions remain high after this week’s exchange of fire, the most serious confrontation since both countries agreed to an interim deal in June.
Three commercial ships were struck while using a US-recommended route through Omani waters. Iran has maintained that the only safe passage is through waters under its control.
Last month’s 14-point memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran was intended to strengthen the ceasefire and pave the way for a lasting agreement.
As part of that understanding, Iran and Oman are expected to negotiate the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz alongside other Gulf states.
During the conflict, Iran attempted to tighten control over the waterway by creating the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” to oversee shipping permits.
Iran’s Fars News Agency has reported that the proposed arrangement would see Iran jointly manage the strait with Oman and possibly introduce service charges for vessels passing through the route.
