The United States is demanding that Iran publicly state it will stop attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and that all lanes in the strait will be open to shipping with no tolls in 24 hours, according to a report by Axios.
Washington warned that failure to do so would bring “serious consequences”, adding that contingency plans are already in place if diplomacy fails.
“The message has been conveyed directly and through regional mediators,” the report said, citing US officials. One official warned, “If it is not their position [tomorrow], it is not gonna be a great day for them,” Axios reported.
This comes as Iran has remained adamant to give up control of the strait, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply typically flows.
The US officials said conversations between the two countries had been productive in recent days. They made the comments to a small group of reporters in a conference call.