US expects full reopening of Hormuz after talks with Iran, reports say
Hormuz Strait (photo: Getty Images)
The United States and Iran have agreed to continue talks despite the recent escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington is seeking a public commitment from Tehran to guarantee the safe passage of commercial shipping, according to CBS News.
What we know about new round of talks
Reports say Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Oman on Saturday, July 11. Mediators from Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan are trying to arrange a four-way phone call while the Iranian foreign minister is in Muscat.
Based on media reports, the US delegation is expected to be led by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff.
However, the Iranian side says no meeting will take place until Washington backs away from its positions. US officials, meanwhile, say recent contacts between the two sides have been productive.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington remains open to dialogue but attached a tough condition.
He wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Islamic Republic of Iran has asked to continue the talks, and the United States has agreed, but has made it absolutely clear that the ceasefire is over.
Why tensions in Hormuz escalated
Earlier this week, three commercial tankers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the United States revoked a license allowing the sale of Iranian crude oil and carried out airstrikes on targets in Iran, killing at least 17 people.
Tehran responded by launching strikes on US military bases in the Gulf.
Washington is demanding that Iran keep the strait—through which about one-fifth of the world's oil supplies moved before the conflict—open to shipping without charging transit fees. The crisis has already triggered a sharp rise in global oil prices.
The situation has been further complicated by remarks from Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who on Saturday again vowed revenge for the killing of his father, who died in US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
Earlier, Trump ordered the US military to prepare thousands of missiles in case Iran attempts to assassinate him.
US-Iran negotiations
As previously reported, the United States issued Iran a firm demand to halt its attacks, setting an ultimatum that expires by the end of the day on July 11.
Before that, Tehran had approached the White House seeking to continue diplomatic talks. Washington agreed to resume negotiations with Iran but declared that the previous ceasefire between the two countries had officially ended.
Amid this, President Donald Trump laid out his conditions, demanding that Tehran make public commitments before the diplomatic process could move forward.
