WASHINGTON — The United States is pushing Iran to make a public declaration that it will stop targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz and that all shipping lanes through the strait will remain open and free of tolls, according to senior U.S. officials who spoke Friday.
The officials, speaking to a small group of reporters on a conference call, said that recent discussions between the two countries have been going well.
“What we’re demanding is that the Iranians issue a public statement that acknowledges all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open and they’re not shooting at ships anymore. They’re either going to give us that statement or we’re not having a good outcome for them,” one official stated.
Iran has reportedly told Washington that the recent attacks on shipping vessels were the result of “an errant part of their system,” according to one senior official.
Officials also noted what appears to be an internal conflict playing out within Iran, describing what looks like a power struggle between hardline factions and more pragmatic elements within the Iranian government.
The diplomatic pressure follows a violent week in which three ships were attacked in the strait, leading U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize military strikes against Iranian targets. Trump has also declared that a ceasefire agreement the two sides reached in June is no longer in effect.
