11.07.2026 07:40
Senior US officials said talks between Washington and Tehran in recent days have been "productive" but that Iran needs to make a clear commitment regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The same official stated that a power struggle is underway in Iran between "hardline conservatives" and "pragmatists."
As the recent tension between the US and Iran reignites security concerns, senior US officials who wish to remain anonymous made statements regarding the demands of the Washington administration.
According to a Reuters report, officials stated that the contacts between the two countries in recent days have been quite productive. A source commenting on the matter warned, "What we are demanding is that the Iranians clearly declare publicly that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open and that they will no longer fire on ships. They will either make this statement or face a negative outcome for themselves."
"POWER STRUGGLE UNDERWAY IN TEHRAN"
The same official alleged that Tehran communicated to Washington that the recent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz stemmed from "an out-of-control element within Iran's own system." According to the report, US sources assessed that there is currently an ongoing power struggle between "hardline conservatives" and "pragmatists" within Iran.
"IRAN MUST ADMIT ITS MISTAKE"
Another official sharing expectations about the course of the process stated, "We hope to reach a point where they will announce publicly that they will stop firing on ships and explicitly or at least implicitly admit that they made a mistake. We are working on that now." Recalling that US President Donald Trump instructed them to negotiate, the official added, "But as the President has proven before, if they continue to fire on ships or engage in any other hostile act, we will respond to them."
"NO DEAL IF WE DON'T GET NUCLEAR MATERIAL"
Meanwhile, it was emphasized that another key demand of the US side is for Iran to hand over the enriched nuclear material in its possession. Underlining the US's firm stance on this issue, a US official said, "I want to make it clear: if we do not get that nuclear material, there will be no deal with Iran." The same official added that if Iran rejects these demands, they have "many options on the table," including military and economic sanctions.
CEASEFIRE HAD ENDED
US President Donald Trump had announced that US strikes were conducted against targets in Iran in response to the attacks and that the ceasefire signed between the two countries in June had ended.
The Strait of Hormuz is known as a critical maritime passage for global energy trade. A significant portion of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transportation is carried out through this route.