# US demands Iran publicly declare the Strait of Hormuz open and commit to no more ship attacks > Senior US officials told reporters on July 10 that Washington is demanding Iran issue a public statement that all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open to shipping and that Tehran will not attack transiting civilian vessels, with Axios reporting a Saturday (July 11) deadline; Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi flew to Oman on July 11 and issued a joint statement with Muscat committing to 'costs associated with navigation' rather than the toll-free passage the US demanded; Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in his first public statement that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz must remain a priority **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-10 · heads: من يقرّر, ما لا يقولونه · 21 takes · 9 lenses · 10 regions ## Summary The United States demanded on July 10 that [Iran](/ar/entity/iran) issue a public statement declaring the [Strait of Hormuz](/ar/entity/place/strait-of-hormuz) fully open to all shipping and committing not to attack civilian vessels transiting the corridor, according to senior US officials briefing reporters anonymously. Axios reported a Saturday (July 11) deadline. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flew to Muscat on July 11 and issued a joint statement with Oman committing to "safe passage" and a joint working group on "the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz... and the costs associated with them." The US had demanded a direct, unilateral Iranian declaration that the strait is "toll-free." Araghchi told reporters Iran's Hormuz decisions "would be made jointly with Oman." Iran's new Supreme Leader [Mojtaba Khamenei](/ar/entity/mojtaba-khamenei) said in his first public statement that "the closure of the Strait of Hormuz must remain a priority." Bloomberg reported that internal Tehran power struggles remain the central obstacle to a durable deal. ## The split Washington's demand is for a unilateral Iranian declaration, not a bilateral arrangement. US officials said they expected Iran to say "every channel in the strait will be open and that it will be toll-free." Iran's diplomatic track, led by Araghchi, responded with an Oman-mediated joint statement that sidesteps the "toll-free" language in favour of "costs associated with navigation," leaving open the fee mechanism Iran has separately pursued through the IRGC's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA). The PGSA, which is itself an OFAC-sanctioned entity, requires mandatory insurance from all Hormuz transiting vessels. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said closure must remain "a priority," while Araghchi was simultaneously in Oman signalling diplomatic engagement. CENTCOM's July 9 "fact check" stated "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz" and cited US escort of 800+ ships and 380 million barrels since May. The GCC's collective statement invoked UNSC Resolution 2817 and called Iran's attacks "repeated heinous," while also leaving the door open to diplomacy. India's business press noted that Hormuz supplies to India had fallen from 2.8 million to 247,000 barrels per day, a disruption neither India nor China can sustain indefinitely. ## By the numbers - 21%, the share of world seaborne oil that transits the Strait of Hormuz - 800+, commercial vessels US forces have helped transit since May (CENTCOM) - 380 million barrels, crude oil facilitated through the strait since May - 2-6%, war-risk insurance premium as a share of vessel value, up from near-zero before the conflict - 2.8 million barrels per day, India's Hormuz oil supply in February; 247,000 by April - 1.4 billion barrels, China's strategic petroleum reserve drawn down to absorb the shock ## Why it matters The [Strait of Hormuz](/ar/entity/place/strait-of-hormuz) handles roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil. Demanding a public Iranian statement, rather than a private diplomatic assurance, raises the stakes: any backtracking becomes immediately visible. The gap between the US demand ("toll-free") and the Iran-Oman joint statement ("costs associated") is the central unresolved dispute. The IRGC's PGSA insurance scheme creates a sanctions compliance trap: Western shipowners must either accept insurance from an OFAC-sanctioned entity or risk operating without cover. Iran's internal split between the diplomatic track (Araghchi) and the military track (IRGC/Mojtaba Khamenei) means no agreement reached with the foreign ministry is guaranteed to hold operationally. ## What to watch - Whether the US accepts the Iran-Oman joint statement as satisfying the Saturday deadline, or rejects it as falling short of a direct Iranian declaration - Whether the PGSA's insurance fees survive the MoU 60-day grace period; if introduced, they breach the US "toll-free" demand and likely trigger a new round of strikes - Russia's and China's position on UNCLOS compliance by Iran, given both are affected by Hormuz disruption - Whether Mojtaba Khamenei issues further statements on Hormuz policy, which would clarify whether the IRGC hardline or the Araghchi diplomatic track has authority ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### GCC collective condemnation of Iran's Hormuz attacks; invokes UNSC Resolution 2817; declares an attack on any member state a direct attack on all - **Gulf Cooperation Council** (Gulf, en) — The GCC's July 9 joint statement condemned Iran's attacks on the Saudi tanker Wadiyan and Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat in the Strait of Hormuz, called Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait 'repeated heinous' violations of international law and UNSC Resolution 2817, and declared any attack on a GCC member state 'a direct attack on all GCC states' under the GCC Charter and Joint Defense Agreement. The statement called for an immediate, unconditional cessation of Iranian hostilities. > "GCC member states condemn in the strongest terms Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and on GCC territories... any attack against any member state is considered a direct attack on all GCC states." Source: https://www.gcc-sg.org/en/MediaCenter/News/Pages/news-2026-7-9-10.aspx ### Official Oman-Iran joint statement on Hormuz governance, July 11; contains the key 'costs associated' formulation the US demanded be 'toll-free' - **Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs** (Oman, en) — The Oman FM official page publishes the Iran-Oman joint statement signed on July 11 in Muscat. Both countries reaffirm commitment to safe passage through the Strait in line with international law while emphasising sovereignty over territorial waters. They agreed on a joint working group to negotiate 'the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the services that will be provided in this regard, and the costs associated with them, in accordance with international standards.' Oman reaffirmed support for the Islamabad MoU. > "Iran and Oman agreed to maintain their dialogue... to reach agreement on the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the services that will be provided in this regard, and the costs associated with them." Source: https://www.fm.gov.om/en/48943/ ### AP wire from Washington; first published dispatch of the US demand; senior US officials speaking anonymously on the Hormuz ultimatum - **Las Vegas Sun / AP** (United States, en) — The AP reported on July 10 that the US is demanding Iran make a public statement that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships will not be attacked, with senior officials speaking under anonymity; no timeline was specified in this early dispatch. > "The U.S. is demanding that Iran make a public statement saying the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships crossing the vital corridor won't be attacked anymore." Source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2026/jul/10/us-demands-iran-publicly-state-that-strait-of-horm/ ### Bloomberg reporting; adds that US officials expected talks to continue despite the latest flare-up, and singles out internal Tehran power struggles as the obstacle to a durable deal - **Spokesman-Review / Bloomberg** (United States, en) — Bloomberg reported the US demand requires a public statement that all Hormuz channels are open and civilian vessels will not be attacked; officials briefing on condition of anonymity said they expected talks to continue despite the latest tensions and identified internal Iranian power struggles as the central obstacle to any lasting agreement. > "The U.S. is demanding that Iran issue a public statement that all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open to shipping and that they will not attack transiting civilian vessels; internal Tehran power struggles have made it difficult to reach and keep a deal." Source: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jul/10/us-demands-iran-declare-strait-of-hormuz-open-to-a/ ### CENTCOM's sovereignty-rebuttal framing; Hormuz as international waterway under US escort, not Iranian authority - **Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty** (United States, en) — RFE/RL reported US Central Command's July 9 'fact check' rebuttal of Iranian claims over the Strait of Hormuz, quoting CENTCOM: 'Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.' CENTCOM said US forces have facilitated the transit of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway since early May. > "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html ### Iran's diplomatic track; Araghchi positions Hormuz governance as a bilateral Iran-Oman coastal-state matter, sidestepping Washington's demand for a direct Iranian declaration - **Middle East Eye** (United Kingdom, en) — Middle East Eye reported Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that decisions regarding the Strait of Hormuz would be made jointly with Oman, framing the waterway's future governance as a bilateral coastal-state matter rather than a unilateral response to Washington's demand for a public Iranian declaration. > "Iran's decisions on Hormuz Strait would be made jointly with Oman." Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/irans-araghchi-says-decisions-hormuz-strait-would-be-made-jointly-oman ### Marine insurance trade press; details Iran's PGSA mandatory insurance scheme and the OFAC-sanctions compliance trap it creates for Western shipowners - **Lloyd's List** (United Kingdom, en) — Lloyd's List reported Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), run by the IRGC, requires all commercial vessels to obtain mandatory insurance coverage approved by Tehran. Western shipping companies face a legal compliance trap: the PGSA is itself an OFAC-sanctioned entity, meaning payment violates US sanctions while non-compliance exposes ships to Iranian interdiction. > "Iran imposes mandatory insurance on ships transiting Strait of Hormuz, with fees likely to follow." Source: https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1157571/Iran-imposes-mandatory-insurance-on-ships-transiting-Strait-of-Hormuz-with-fees-likely-to-follow ### US business media; India-China competition for scarce oil supplies after Hormuz disruptions; India more exposed, China drawing strategic reserves - **CNBC** (United States, en) — CNBC reported India and China competing for limited global crude supplies after Hormuz disruptions. India's supplies through Hormuz fell from 2.8 million barrels per day in February to 247,000 by April due to its heavier reliance on Middle Eastern crude. China drew down its 1.4 billion-barrel strategic reserves, reducing its imports from 11 million to 7.8 million barrels per day, effectively shielding global prices from a larger shock. > "India and China... are competing for scarce global crude supplies as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz tighten the market." Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/india-china-russian-oil-supply-strait-hormuz-disruption.html ### unlabelled - **Local10 / AP** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.local10.com/news/world/2026/07/10/us-demands-iran-publicly-state-that-strait-of-hormuz-is-open-and-tehran-wont-attack-ships-anymore/ - **The Hill** (United States, en) — Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/5963580-u-s-demands-iran-affirm-strait-of-hormuz-is-fully-open-after-exchange-of-strikes-officials-say/ - **Axios** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.axios.com/2026/07/10/iran-strait-hormuz-attacks-mou-deal - **The Peninsula Qatar** (Qatar, en) — Source: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/09/07/2026/gcc-countries-strongly-condemn-irans-attacks-in-strait-of-hormuz-on-gcc-states - **Gulf News** (UAE, en) — Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/gcc-reaffirms-collective-defence-against-iranian-attacks-1.500602779 - **Euronews** (Europe, en) — Source: https://www.euronews.com/2026/07/08/gulf-states-brace-again-for-fiery-us-iran-showdown-as-tensions-spiral - **Insurance Journal** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2026/07/09/876855.htm - **Times of Israel** (Israel, en) — Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-july-11-2026/ - **Marine Log** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.marinelog.com/news/iran-and-oman-release-joint-statement-on-strait-of-hormuz/ - **Xinhua** (China, en) — Source: https://english.news.cn/20260711/8e327531699d4ca5a47fd76a470e8ce9/c.html - **CNN** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/11/world/live-news/iran-war-trump - **CBS News** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-ceasefire-talks-strait-of-hormuz/ - **Mehr News Agency** (Iran, en) — Source: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/246059/Araghchi-spoke-with-his-Turkish-Omani-counterparts-on-Hormuz ## Across the graph - Related: [[iran-irgc-gulf-strikes-jul9]], [[iran-hormuz-ship-attack-jul7]], [[merz-iran-hormuz-bundeswehr-2026]] - Entities: Iran, Place:strait of Hormuz, United States --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ar/n/iran-hormuz-us-demand-jul10