US Seeks Pledge From Iran To Stop Firing On Ships Ahead Of Oman Talks

The United States is pressing Iran to publicly state that the Strait of Hormuz is open and pledge to stop firing on commercial ships ahead of negotiations due to be held in Oman on Saturday, following this week's fighting over the strategic waterway.

The talks come after this week's fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, which the White House saw as a violation of the ceasefire agreed in June. According to BBC, US officials said Washington had conveyed its demands to Iran's leadership through regional mediators before Saturday's negotiations.

US media, citing unnamed officials, said Tehran had privately acknowledged to advisers of President Donald Trump that the firing on commercial ships had been a mistake, although the Iranians reportedly blamed a rogue internal group for the attacks.

Trump has said both sides have agreed to continue talks despite this week's fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, which the White House saw as a violation of the ceasefire.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his country had "kept its word" on the ceasefire, saying on X that the US had violated the deal.

According to BBC, the ceasefire agreement signed by the US and Iran in June included a commitment by Iran to provide safe passage to commercial ships.

Senior US officials told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that Tehran had said an "errant" sect of hardliners was trying to undermine negotiations by firing on commercial ships.

One official told the broadcaster: "They [the Iranians] came back to the table and said, 'We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let's keep talking.'"

Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to lead Saturday's negotiations. Araqchi is also expected to attend the talks.

During a briefing with reporters on Friday, US officials said a message had been conveyed through regional mediators demanding that Iran's leadership issue a statement declaring the strait open and pledging to stop firing on commercial ships, according to multiple media reports.

"They're either going to give us that statement or we're not having a good outcome for them," one official was quoted by Reuters as saying.

CBS also reported that the White House wants Iran to publicly acknowledge that firing on the shipping was a mistake.

Reported BBC, a delegation from Qatar travelled to Iran on Friday for talks aimed at defusing tensions and easing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.'

"We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!"

In the early hours of Saturday, Trump also responded to reports that Iran had plans to assassinate him.

Writing on Truth Social, he said that the US army would "completely decimate and destroy all areas" of the country in retaliation to such an attack.

The Wall Street Journal and other US media reported this week that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington that Iran had recently devised a plan to assassinate the US president.

There were also open calls for Trump's death at the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei, who was buried this week, was killed in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran on 28 February, the first day of Iran's war with the US and Israel.

No fresh attacks were reported on Friday after fighting broke out in the Gulf region earlier this week, marking the worst exchange of fire between the US and Iran since the two nations signed an interim deal in June.

Three ships were struck while using a US-recommended route through Omani waters. Iran has repeatedly said the only "safe" passage is a separate route through its waters.

Overall progress came last month when the US and Iran agreed on a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which was aimed at extending a ceasefire and ending conflict "on all fronts".

As part of the agreement, Iran and Oman must hold talks "to define the future administration and maritime services" in the strait with other Gulf states.

During the conflict, Iran sought to assert its sovereignty over the strait, including by establishing the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", which it said would manage "safe passage permits".

Iran's Fars news agency reported that under the new deal with the US the strait would ultimately be managed by Iran in co-ordination with Oman, including possible "service fees" for ships to transit the waterway.

(With inputs from BBC)