‹ rbtfl

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

Conflicts·Shipping· escalating Who Decides·What They're Not Saying ·54 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jul 13, 2026
post

developments

  1. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flew to Muscat on July 11 and met Omani FM Badr al-Busaidi. The two issued a joint statement committing to safe passage and a joint working group to determine '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 FM). Araghchi told reporters Iran's Hormuz decisions 'would be made jointly with Oman' (Middle East Eye). The US had demanded Iran issue a unilateral public declaration that the strait is open and toll-free. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in his first statement that 'the closure of the Strait of Hormuz must remain a priority.' The IRGC's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), itself an OFAC-sanctioned entity, requires mandatory insurance for all Hormuz transits, with fees expected once the 60-day MoU grace period expires. CENTCOM issued a 'fact check' on July 9: 'Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,' citing the facilitation of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude through the strait since May (RFE/RL). The GCC collectively condemned Iran's July 7-9 attacks on the Saudi tanker Wadiyan and Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat, invoked UNSC Resolution 2817, and declared any attack on one member 'a direct attack on all GCC states' (GCC). India's Hormuz oil supplies fell from 2.8 million barrels per day in February to 247,000 by April; China drew down its 1.4 billion-barrel strategic reserves to absorb the shock. War-risk insurance rates rose to 2-6% of vessel value, up from near-zero before the conflict, and demand for policies collapsed as visible shipping through the strait approached a halt after July 9 strikes (Lloyd's List, Insurance Journal). ↗

The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

Gulf

Gulf Cooperation Council

“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.”

GCC collective condemnation of Iran's Hormuz attacks; invokes UNSC Resolution 2817; declares an attack on any member state a direct attack on allread the original ↗

Oman

Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“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.”

Official Oman-Iran joint statement on Hormuz governance, July 11; contains the key 'costs associated' formulation the US demanded be 'toll-free'read the original ↗

United States

Las Vegas Sun / AP

“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.”

AP wire from Washington; first published dispatch of the US demand; senior US officials speaking anonymously on the Hormuz ultimatumread the original ↗

post

Summary

The United States demanded on July 10 that Iran issue a public statement declaring the 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 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 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

The briefing, by email