Iran Tells Trump Officials It Made a Mistake in Strait of Hormuz Ship Attacks, Seeks to Continue Talks
Iranian officials have privately acknowledged to US advisers that attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz were a mistake and expressed a desire to continue diplomatic negotiations, according to senior US officials.
The officials said Iran described the attacks as the result of actions by a hardline faction within its system that allegedly wanted to disrupt ongoing talks. The Trump administration, however, is seeking a public acknowledgement from Tehran, calling the attacks a violation of the existing ceasefire agreement.
US President Donald Trump has instructed his negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to continue discussions with Iran. The next round of talks is scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday.
According to US officials, Iran has indicated that it wants to return to negotiations and maintain the Strait of Hormuz as an open route for international trade, similar to the situation before the conflict began.
One US official said Iranian representatives effectively admitted their mistake, saying they wanted to resolve the issue and continue talks. However, Washington has warned that any further hostile actions could lead to a response using both military and economic measures.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which a significant amount of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, has remained at the centre of tensions between the two countries.
US officials said they believe Iran’s actions were linked to disagreements over shipping movements in the region. Washington claimed that Iran was surprised by the rapid increase in commercial traffic through the southern part of the strait near Oman and later changed its position.
The Trump administration has said it is giving diplomats time to reach an agreement but warned that the opportunity will not remain open indefinitely.
Officials also discussed the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, referring to remaining nuclear materials as “nuclear dust.” The US said it prefers a solution involving inspection and removal of such material but warned that further steps could be considered if Iran does not cooperate.
American officials stressed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a crucial first step before discussions on more complicated issues, including Iran’s nuclear activities, can move forward.
The White House has maintained that negotiations will continue, but it remains cautious about Iran’s commitments and is closely monitoring developments ahead of the upcoming talks in Oman.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
