US Gives Iran Saturday Deadline to Declare Strait of Hormuz Open as Araghchi Meets Omani FM in Muscat

US officials gave Iran a deadline of Saturday, 11 July 2026, to publicly declare the Strait of Hormuz open to all shipping and pledge to stop firing on commercial vessels, Axios reported. A senior US official warned that if Iran does not accept the demand by Saturday, "it is not gonna be a great day for them." Washington says Iran violated the memorandum of understanding it signed with the US three weeks earlier by continuing to fire on commercial vessels.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat on Saturday to discuss shipping-safety arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz, continuing consultations that have run for one to two months under Omani mediation. According to CNN, US officials expect Iran to issue a public statement on the Strait's status following the meeting.