The United States expects Iran to issue a public statement in the coming days that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that commercial vessels attempting to transit the waterway won’t be attacked, according to senior US officials.
The officials declined to specify the consequences for Iran if it does not issue such a public declaration. But in broad terms, they warned the US could take further action.
“If it’s not their position, then it’s not going to be a great day for them,” one official said, saying the US expectation is Iran adopts the position on the strait following a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi, on Saturday.
The officials described this week’s attacks on vessels in the strait as conducted by an “errant part” of Iran’s system that was working to undermine the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran last month.
The White House sees a power struggle underway in Tehran between moderates who support diplomacy with the US and hardliners who are opposed to the agreement signed at Versailles in June.
Another official said Iran admitted in communications with the United States the strikes on merchant ships had been a mistake.
“They came back to the table and said we screwed up,” the official said.
But even with that information, which the officials said was conveyed to the United States by Iran, President Donald Trump still resolved to respond with strikes.
“President Trump didn’t care. He basically said, you know, if you hit us, we’re going to respond 20 times,” one official said.
Source: CNN