Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Hormuz deal could come Wednesday, Trump says
US President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached as soon as Wednesday, while warning Iran it would be “hit very hard” if the waterway did not reopen soon.
Trump told reporters in California on Tuesday that negotiators “had a very good day” and that a deal with Iran could happen “tomorrow or the next day.” Earlier, in an interview with Fox News, he said: “The strait is going to be open very soon, or they're going to get hit very hard -- and then the strait's going to be open.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC there was a chance of a deal by Wednesday or Thursday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was involved in negotiations between Oman and Iran on increasing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios, citing unnamed regional officials and a US official, reported that the United States, Iran and Oman were nearing an interim 60-day arrangement for safe passage through the strait between Iran and Oman. It said Washington hoped to announce the deal on Wednesday.
Iran's foreign ministry has denied negotiations with Washington. Qatar, which has been mediating, said diplomatic efforts were continuing but no direct Iran-US talks were planned. Qatar said its emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, spoke with Trump by phone on Tuesday about efforts to de-escalate tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global oil and gas supplies. Transit through the waterway has been a central issue in talks after renewed fighting followed an April ceasefire. Iran has tightened its control over the strait and wants to control passage and charge tolls, powers it did not exercise before the war began on February 28.
The security situation remained volatile. Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO said an unnamed cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman early Tuesday. One crew member was listed missing.
Separately, the Indian ship MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank in the Red Sea off Yemen after an unattributed attack, with all crew rescued. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and have claimed attacks on ships they say violated it.
Update
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there was a chance of a deal by Wednesday or Thursday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was involved in Oman-Iran negotiations on increasing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar said diplomatic efforts were continuing but no direct Iran-US talks were planned, and its emir spoke with Trump by phone.
A crew member was listed missing after a merchant ship was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime authorities cited in the item.
The Indian ship MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank in the Red Sea off Yemen after an unattributed attack, with all crew rescued.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 04:40:52 UTC.
Update
Trump later said he believed a deal could happen as soon as Wednesday or Thursday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 04:09:22 UTC.
Update
Axios reported that the United States, Iran and Oman were nearing an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios said Washington hoped to announce the deal on Wednesday.
Axios reported that the proposed arrangement would last 60 days and provide safe passage in the strait between Iran and Oman.
Axios reported that the proposed deal would not involve toll payments and would use separate northern and southern shipping lanes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 03:45:19 UTC.
Update
US President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would open “very soon” or Iran would be “hit very hard”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 03:13:43 UTC.
Update
Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO said early Tuesday that a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman.
UKMTO said authorities were investigating and did not give details on damage or injuries.
Trump wrote that nothing would get through to Iran unless the United States allowed it and unless a deal or what he called total surrender was achieved.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 00:25:52 UTC.
Update
Trump said Iran faced what he called a “last chance before decapitation”.
Trump said he agreed to continue pursuing talks at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries.
Trump said reopening the Strait of Hormuz could come “literally by tomorrow”, while Iran's denuclearisation could “take a little while”.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that a tanker off Oman heard an explosion nearby, with the ship and crew reported safe.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 19:27:14 UTC.
Update
Trump described the negotiations with Iran as a final opportunity for Tehran to make a deal.
Trump told journalists at the White House: “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 18:10:40 UTC.
Update
Donald Trump said Iran talks were happening “right now”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 18:01:50 UTC.
Update
Iran said its talks were with Oman over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, not with the United States.
Trump pointed to a US counter-blockade of Iranian ports and said nothing would get through to Iran unless there was a deal or total surrender.
Iran said an understanding with Oman on a Hormuz route was close, but said this would not mean the strait was reopening.
UKMTO reported that a tanker off Oman heard an explosion nearby and that the ship and crew were safe.
An Iranian lawmaker said mediators were trying to revive a June US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 17:58:09 UTC.
Update
Trump said a US military blockade would continue until there was a deal or Iran's surrender.
Trump called Iran “duplicitous” after Tehran denied it was negotiating with the United States.
Trump said the United States and Iran were “talking of a solution” whether Iran admitted it or not.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 15:43:32 UTC.
Update
Donald Trump told Iranians: “Deal, or Total Surrender.”
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 15:37:11 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
No final Hormuz reopening deal has been announced in the supplied material.
Iran denies negotiations with Washington, while US officials say negotiations involving Oman and Iran are taking place.
Axios based its report on unnamed regional officials and a US official.
Responsibility for the projectile strike in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea attack was not established in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .