Iran has privately acknowledged that it made a mistake by targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and wants negotiations with the United States to continue, according to senior U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
The admission comes after renewed tensions in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes threatened to derail fragile diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
According to the officials who spoke to CBS News on Friday, July 10, Iranian representatives told Trump’s advisers that the attacks on commercial ships were a mistake and were carried out by what they described as an “errant” faction of hardliners seeking to undermine negotiations.
One U.S. official said the Iranian side admitted responsibility during private discussions.
“They came back to the table and said, ‘We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking,'” the official said.
White House Seeks Public Acknowledgment
Despite the private admission, the Trump administration wants Iran to publicly acknowledge responsibility for the attacks.
U.S. officials view the incident as a violation of the ceasefire framework that both sides had been attempting to preserve.
President Trump has instructed his negotiating team to continue diplomatic efforts while making clear that further hostile actions would carry consequences.
The administration’s negotiating team includes Vice President JD Vance, senior adviser Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Officials said another round of talks is scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday.
Strait of Hormuz at Center of Talks
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically important waterways in the world, carrying about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas exports.
According to U.S. officials, the United States expects Iran to reaffirm after the Oman talks that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to commercial shipping under the same arrangements that existed before the recent conflict.
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One official warned that the administration expects Iran to honor that commitment.
“If that is not their position, it’s not going to be a great day for them,” the official said.
Another senior official described the current situation as uncertain.
“We’re definitely in a wait-and-see moment,” the official said.
Dispute Over Why Ships Were Targeted
Iran attributed the attacks to a hardliner group inside the country’s system, but the Trump administration believes the explanation is more complicated.
According to one U.S. official, Washington believes Iran reacted after realizing that commercial traffic had shifted heavily toward the southern shipping lane running near the Omani coast.
The United States had expected that route to remain open under the memorandum being discussed between both governments.
Officials said Tehran appeared surprised by both the speed of maritime traffic and the volume of oil and gas shipments through that corridor, which prompted Iran to reverse course and target commercial vessels.
Negotiations Continue Under Pressure
Although Trump has authorized his team to continue discussions, officials said the president is not prepared to allow negotiations to drag on indefinitely.
According to one official, the administration intends to give diplomacy a chance but expects measurable progress within a limited timeframe.
The discussions are also expected to include Iran’s nuclear program.
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Officials said the administration would prefer to recover what Trump has referred to as the remaining “nuclear dust” from Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
However, they indicated that if Tehran refuses to cooperate, the United States has alternative options, including leaving the material buried.
Maritime Security Seen as First Test
Administration officials described freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as the first major test of whether Iran is prepared to follow through on any major agreement.
One official said there would be little chance of resolving more difficult issues if Tehran cannot meet what Washington considers the most basic commitment.
“If Iran is not capable of honoring what the U.S. believes was the easiest part of the deal, opening up the strait to trade, negotiators will never get to address the thornier issue of Iran’s nuclear program,” the official said.
The officials also emphasized that the United States is prepared to use both military and economic pressure if Iran resumes hostile activity.
