A vessel passes near Ajman, United Arab Emirates, on Friday (local time). Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply in the wake of recent attacks on merchant vessels and military exchanges between the United States and Iran. [AFP]
A vessel passes near Ajman, United Arab Emirates, on Friday (local time). Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply in the wake of recent attacks on merchant vessels and military exchanges between the United States and Iran. [AFP]

The United States is pressing Iran to publicly declare that it will halt attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and keep all shipping lanes open. Iran nuclear negotiations and truce talks have become increasingly entangled with the question of maritime passage, unsettling the broader Middle East.

Senior US officials told reporters in a closed briefing on Friday (local time) that recent talks with Iran had been "productive," but said Iran must publicly commit to maritime safety, according to Reuters and Axios. The Associated Press also reported that Washington is pushing Tehran to issue a public declaration pledging to open the Strait of Hormuz and stop attacking ships.

An anonymous US official said the demand was straightforward: "What we're asking is for Iran to put out a public statement that all waterways in the Strait of Hormuz are open and that they will no longer fire on ships." The official added, "If they don't put out that statement, there will be no good outcome for them."

The official went further, saying Washington wants Iran "to publicly say they will stop shooting at ships and to reach the point where they acknowledge their mistake, either explicitly or implicitly." The US also expects Iran to announce that all lanes through the strait are open and that no tolls will be imposed on passing vessels.

Washington has not ruled out a military response if Iran continues to attack ships. "The president directed us to talk, but as the president has made clear, if they keep firing on ships or engage in other hostile acts, we will retaliate," the official said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Repeated attacks on merchant vessels or restrictions on passage could simultaneously drive up energy prices and maritime logistics costs. Analysts say the recent attacks have already heightened uncertainty in international energy markets.

Smoke rises from the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuri Nari after it was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, north of Oman, on March 11. [Nopadol Wongsuwan/AP]
Smoke rises from the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuri Nari after it was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, north of Oman, on March 11. [Nopadol Wongsuwan/AP]

US officials said Iran explained in private contacts that the recent attacks on merchant vessels were carried out by "rogue elements within the government system" — suggesting that hardliners inside the regime had acted to undermine the momentum toward a truce with the United States.

One US official assessed that a power struggle is underway inside Iran between hardliners and those favoring negotiations, over both the implementation of the end-of-war MOU and follow-on talks with the Trump administration. Washington says a public commitment is needed to verify that the Iranian government actually holds effective control.

Nuclear deal conditions also appear to be stiffening. US officials said the transfer of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States is a core prerequisite for any agreement. Iran is believed to hold more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.

"If we don't get the nuclear material, there will be no deal with Iran," one official warned, adding that Washington has "a range of options," including military and economic measures, if Tehran refuses. Another official said a nuclear agreement would be impossible unless Iran abides by the truce conditions and stops attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Attacks on merchant vessels in the strait have been mounting. Axios reported that Iranian forces attacked merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and that the United States struck Iranian military targets in response.

Even so, Washington has kept the door open to diplomacy. The Financial Times reported that Donald Trump has decided to continue peace negotiations with Iran despite the recent military escalation. However, the US is maintaining its position that Iran must publicly pledge to halt ship attacks in the strait before talks can advance.

US officials also said Iran had itself requested additional consultations to resolve the dispute. Washington expects Tehran to issue a statement on the recent incidents following a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat, Oman, scheduled for Sunday.

The US and Iran signed an end-of-war MOU on June 17, agreeing to use a 60-day truce period to discuss halting Iran's nuclear program and lifting US sanctions on Iran. The resumption of merchant ship attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and renewed military exchanges between the two sides have severely shaken the negotiating framework built on that truce.

Donald Trump formally declared the truce with Iran over that day, while Iran vowed there would be "no surrender." With nuclear negotiations and maritime passage issues now deeply intertwined, tensions between Washington and Tehran appear set to remain elevated for now.


kwater@heraldcorp.com