US Gives Iran Ultimatum to Stop Shipping Attacks in Hormuz

The United States has issued an ultimatum demanding that Iran publicly pledge to cease all attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and guarantee the waterway remains open and toll-free. U.S. officials conveyed the demand on July 10, setting a deadline of Saturday, July 11, 2026, for a formal declaration from Tehran.

The demand follows a sharp escalation in hostilities earlier in the week, after Iranian forces targeted three commercial tankers in the strategic strait. In response, the United States conducted military strikes targeting approximately 90 sites on Iran's Kharg Island and other locations, which officials said killed at least 17 people and wounded 115 others. Iran retaliated with strikes on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. President Donald Trump subsequently declared a prior ceasefire agreement between the two nations over.

U.S. officials stated that Iran has privately characterized the recent maritime attacks as a mistake caused by a rogue internal faction seeking to undermine diplomacy. The American ultimatum seeks a clear, public guarantee from Tehran that civilian and merchant vessels will not be targeted and that all channels of the Strait...