Reports claiming that Iran privately admitted it “made a mistake” after attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz have added a fresh twist to the ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington. The development comes as fighting between the United States and Iran resumed this week and President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire with Tehran is “over”. According to CBS, Iranian officials told advisers to Trump that the attacks were not part of an official plan but were carried out by an “errant” group of hardliners trying to derail negotiations.
Reportedly, senior US officials said the message delivered by the Iranian side was direct: “We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking.” Despite the reported private admission, the White House wants Iran to publicly acknowledge what it considers a breach of the ceasefire agreement before talks move forward.
Iran claims rogue hardliners triggered the Hormuz ship attacks
According to the reports, Iranian officials told Trump’s advisers that an “errant” faction inside the country’s system was responsible for targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. They argued the attacks were carried out by rogue hardliners attempting to sabotage the peace process.
However, that is not the situation in the case of the Trump administration. The administration of the United States feels that Iran has acted after seeing the movements of oil and gas tankers from the southern corridor along the coast of Oman. The reason for this action by the US administration is that this has made the Iranians worried because their influence in the Strait of Hormuz is no more.
Iran talks in Oman as US wants a public commitment
As per reports, further talks are scheduled between both parties in Oman on Saturday. President Trump has directed his team of negotiators, which includes Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to continue to negotiate with Iran.
Following the discussion, it is expected by the White House that Iran will make a public statement that the Strait of Hormuz will stay open and function like it used to do before the confrontation. As one US official has remarked, “if they won’t, it’s not going to be a great day for them.” Another official commented that “it’s a wait-and-see situation.”
Iran nuclear issue remains on the table as US keeps pressure intact
US officials said Washington is prepared to use both military and economic pressure if Iran continues hostile actions. At the same time, they said President Trump has given negotiators room to secure an agreement, though not unlimited time.
The administration also addressed what Trump has called the “nuclear dust” left from Iran’s nuclear programme. Officials said the preferred option is to excavate Iran’s buried uranium. However, if Iran refuses to behave like what they described as a “normal country,” other options remain available, including leaving the material buried. One official said that if Tehran cannot uphold what Washington sees as the simplest part of the understanding, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for international trade, talks are unlikely to progress to the more difficult issue of its nuclear programme.
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Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
