[The Trump administration demands Iran commit by Saturday to cease firing on ships in the Strait of Hormuz] BlockBeats news, July 11, according to Axios, the Trump administration has demanded that Iran publicly declare by Saturday at the latest that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and commit to ceasing attacks on commercial vessels. U.S. officials stated that this demand has been conveyed to Iran through direct channels as well as regional mediators. The U.S. believes that Iran's recent attacks on commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz violate a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties weeks ago, putting the fragile ceasefire agreement at risk of collapse. The report states that Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Al-Busaidi are expected to meet on Saturday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. hopes that Iran will issue a public statement after this meeting, committing to cease attacks and confirming that the strait's shipping lanes will remain open and toll-free. U.S. officials noted that recent progress has been made in U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, but the Hormuz crisis has raised concerns about Iran's ability to adhere to more complex agreements. If Iran refuses the related demands, the U.S. has warned that it will take further action. [Original link]