Trump gives Iran Saturday deadline over Strait of Hormuz as oil fears grow
Saturday's deadline coincides with a key meeting in Muscat, where the Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to meet Omani Foreign Minister to discuss maritime security and the Strait of Hormuz.
Tugboats guide the crude oil tanker Odessa, carrying UAE crude after passing through the Strait of Hormuz at Daesan port. (REUTERS FILE)
The Trump administration has given Iran until Saturday to publicly commit to ending attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and declare that the vital waterway will remain open to international shipping, Axios reported, citing senior US officials. The ultimatum comes even as President Donald Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire “over” following a fresh round of attacks on commercial vessels that Washington says violated last month’s memorandum of understanding (MoU). Axios first reported the US deadline, citing three officials familiar with the discussions.
The development comes at a crucial moment for global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz carries around one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies. It means any disruption would be a major concern for oil-importing countries such as India, which relies heavily on crude shipments from the Gulf. Renewed attacks on commercial shipping have already pushed oil prices higher and raised fears of another escalation in West Asia. News agency Reuters reported that crude prices recorded their biggest weekly gain in eight weeks after the latest flare-up.
Saturday’s deadline coincides with a key meeting in Muscat, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi to discuss maritime security and the Strait of Hormuz. US officials say the outcome of those talks could determine whether diplomacy survives or the region slides back toward military confrontation. Axios reported that Washington expects Tehran to make a public statement immediately after the meeting.
US wants Iran to publicly renounce attacks
According to Axios, the Trump administration is demanding that Iran publicly acknowledge that all shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are open and pledge to stop firing on commercial vessels.
Advertisement
“We want them to publicly say that they will stop shooting at ships and explicitly, or at least implicitly, acknowledge that they screwed up. We are working on that now,” one US official told reporters.
The official added that Washington expects Iran to declare “that every channel in the strait will be open and that it will be toll-free.”
Another senior official warned that Tehran would face consequences if it refused.
“If it is not their position [tomorrow], it is not gonna be a great day for them,” the official said, according to Axios.
US officials argue that Iran violated the memorandum of understanding signed less than three weeks ago by repeatedly targeting commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz. They say Tehran’s failure to uphold that agreement raises serious questions about whether it can be trusted to implement a broader nuclear deal.
Trump says ceasefire has collapsed, but talks continue
Even as Washington hardened its public stance, Trump said the United States had agreed to continue diplomatic contacts with Tehran despite declaring that last month’s ceasefire was effectively over.
“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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to Reuters.
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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) July 10, 2026
Trump’s comments followed several days of military exchanges in which commercial tankers linked to Qatar and Saudi Arabia came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory Iranian attacks on American military sites in Gulf states.
Although no fresh attacks were reported on Friday, regional mediators have continued efforts to rescue negotiations.
.
World · US-Iran · Hormuz
US-Iran tensions: how the Hormuz crisis escalated
Weeks after signing a memorandum to end their war, Washington and Tehran are trading strikes over the Strait of Hormuz — and the US has set a Saturday deadline.
.Developing · as of Friday
From memorandum to ultimatum
.
June
The US and Iran sign a memorandum of understanding, opening a window to negotiate a wider deal.
.
This week
Commercial ships are attacked in the Strait of Hormuz; the US blames Iran.
.
In response
The US launches two rounds of retaliatory strikes on Iran.
.
Then
Iran fires on US vessels near the strait.
.
July 8
Trump declares the ceasefire “over.”
.
Friday
The US issues a Saturday ultimatum with a set of demands.
.
Saturday
Iran's foreign minister is due to meet Oman's in Muscat to discuss the strait.
Compiled from reporting by Axios, The Hill and others, citing US officials. A developing story.
What the US is demanding of Iran
1
Publicly stop attacks on commercial ships
2
Confirm all Hormuz shipping lanes are open
3
Allow toll-free passage through the strait
4
Reaffirm its commitment to the memorandum (MoU)
Deadline
A public statement expected after Saturday's Oman talks.
Iran's position: Tehran says it remains committed to safe passage through the strait in coordination with Oman, and disputes that it asked to resume talks.
Demands as described by US officials to reporters (Axios, The Hill); wording is paraphrased.
The world's most important oil chokepoint
▲ IRAN (north)
Persian /Arabian Gulf.Strait of Hormuz
→ narrowest point →
Gulf ofOman
▼ OMAN · UAE (south)
~20%
of global oil trade passes through it
Gulf
main route for Gulf crude exports
India
critical for India's oil imports
With the standoff on, only about 15 ships transited Hormuz in 24 hours — a fraction of normal — with 285+ tankers reported waiting.
Schematic, not to scale. Oil-share and traffic figures are widely cited estimates; verify latest before use.
Iran rejected Trump’s claim that it had requested renewed negotiations with Washington.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Araghchi’s visit to Oman would focus on the Strait of Hormuz and maritime security.
“Iran accepted a clear responsibility regarding the establishment of normal arrangements and maritime services related to ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and we have been very determined and resolute in fulfilling that responsibility. Under the agreement, we were to consult and cooperate with Oman on this matter,” Baghaei said, according to Reuters.
Baghaei also denied reports that Tehran had sought talks with Washington, saying Iran had merely agreed to discussions requested by Qatari mediators.
Behind-the-scenes diplomacy continues
Despite the public rhetoric, Axios reported that back-channel diplomacy has continued throughout the week.
According to one US official quoted by the publication, Iranian representatives approached Washington after two days of clashes and sought to keep negotiations alive.
“They told us, ‘We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking,'” the official claimed.
Another US official told Axios that divisions had emerged inside Iran’s leadership over implementing the memorandum of understanding, with some factions favouring diplomacy while others sought to regain leverage by targeting commercial shipping.
“There are elements within their system that want to reach a deal, but we can’t make decisions for them. They need to get things under control,” one official said.
Publicly, however, Iranian negotiators, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other senior officials have continued to insist that Tehran must retain control over navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported.
Fresh threats add to tensions
The diplomatic push unfolded alongside another sharp warning from Trump. The US president said he had ordered the military to prepare for overwhelming retaliation if Iran attempted to assassinate him.
1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President… pic.twitter.com/yLEOjxQSPg
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) July 11, 2026
The comments came days after CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington alleging Iran had recently devised a plan to assassinate Trump.
Why Strait of Hormuz matters
The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most strategically important energy chokepoint, handling roughly 20 per cent of global oil shipments before the conflict began. During the war, Iran tightened control over shipping routes through the waterway, forcing vessels onto designated channels and triggering repeated confrontations with the United States.
For India, which imports a significant share of its crude oil from Gulf producers, prolonged instability in the Strait could increase freight costs, disrupt energy supplies and put upward pressure on domestic fuel prices.
What happens next?
US officials told Axios they still believe progress has been made during three weeks of direct and indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and remain in contact with Iranian officials who have the authority to negotiate.
“We are talking to people with authority there who say they want a deal,” one US official said.
One official said Trump has given negotiators room to pursue diplomacy, “but not a lot of space and time,” adding that Washington is simultaneously preparing alternative options if negotiations fail.
Tugboats guide the crude oil tanker Odessa, carrying UAE crude after passing through the Strait of Hormuz at Daesan port. (REUTERS FILE) 
Share
