Trump’s countdown to Iran: Before Saturday, publicly guarantee that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open—don’t fire on merchant ships again, or the consequences will be yours to bear.

Trump’s administration has issued a final ultimatum to Iran. According to Axios, the U.S. is asking Iran to publicly issue a statement no later than Saturday confirming that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and pledging to stop firing on commercial vessels. U.S. officials said this demand has been delivered to Tehran through direct channels, together with regional mediators, and warned that if Iran refuses, further action will be taken.
（Background: Trump announced that the U.S.-Iran “ceasefire is over”! Slammed Tehran as lawless, with Brent crude oil nearing $80）
（Additional context: Iran has confirmed it will offer discounts to friendly countries such as China for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, charging Bitcoin and USDT as tolls）

Key summary

• Trump’s administration asked Iran to issue a public statement by Saturday confirming the Strait of Hormuz is open and that it has stopped firing at commercial ships, and at least implicitly to admit it was in the wrong
• The U.S. says Iran violated the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed three weeks ago; Trump directly announced this week that the ceasefire is “over”
• Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will meet Oman’s foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat, Oman, on Saturday; the U.S. wants Iran to issue a statement after the meeting

Trump’s administration has issued a final ultimatum to Iran. According to Axios, the U.S. is asking Iran to publicly issue a statement no later than Saturday confirming that the Strait of Hormuz remains open (Strait of Hormuz), pledging to stop firing on commercial vessels, and at least implicitly acknowledging that it made mistakes. U.S. officials said this request has been conveyed to Tehran through direct channels, along with regional mediators.

The U.S. believes that Iran has recently fired on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, violating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by both sides three weeks ago. These attacks triggered repeated exchanges of fire, pushing an already fragile ceasefire agreement to the brink of collapse—Trump had earlier this week directly announced that the ceasefire is “over.”

Saturday talks in Oman are key

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet Oman’s foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Oman has long been a traditional intermediary between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. wants Iran to issue a public statement after the meeting, pledging to stop attacks and confirming that every shipping lane through the strait remains open—and with no passage fees.

“The no passage fees” line is especially interesting. Just a few days ago, Iran confirmed it would offer discounts to friendly countries such as China, charging Bitcoin and USDT as tolls. What the U.S. wants now is to dismantle that newly announced “toll booth.”

U.S. officials said there have been some recent developments in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, but this Hormuz crisis has made Washington start to doubt whether Iran is actually capable of carrying out more complex agreements. As for what happens if Iran refuses, one U.S. official said: “If tomorrow is not their position, then it won’t be a good day for them.”

FAQ

What is the Trump administration asking Iran to do?

The Trump administration is asking Iran to issue a public statement no later than Saturday confirming the Strait of Hormuz remains open, pledging to stop firing on commercial vessels, and at least implicitly admitting wrongdoing. The U.S. says Iran has violated the MoU signed three weeks ago; if it refuses, the U.S. will take further action.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?

The Strait of Hormuz is the only waterway from the Persian Gulf to the open sea, carrying about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil. If shipping lanes are threatened, oil prices and global risk sentiment will react immediately—making it a strategic chokepoint for both energy and financial markets.