U.S. REAFFIRMS THAT NAVAL RESTRICTION RELIEF IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE STRICTLY PERFORMANCE-BASED AND CONTINGENT ON PROVEN SECURITY

U.S. REAFFIRMS THAT NAVAL RESTRICTION RELIEF IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE STRICTLY PERFORMANCE-BASED AND CONTINGENT ON PROVEN SECURITY

Defense officials in Washington condition the issuance of operational waivers on the total absence of new attacks and practical verification of commercial transit stability.

United States defense officials and representatives from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reaffirmed that any easing of the naval blockade on Iranian ports or the issuance of operational waivers for maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz will occur under a strict performance-based criterion.

The official position reiterates that Western military drawdown or the loosening of naval sanctions will be neither immediate nor automatic. The process will be executed exclusively in a gradual manner, contingent on verification of security at sea and the total absence of new attacks or hostile interference against commercial vessels transiting the international shipping route.

Key Pillars of the U.S. Position:

Evidence-Based Phasing: The issuance of operational waivers for vessels and terminals will be rolled out in stages, closely tied to technical verification timelines monitoring regional stability and force behavior.

Zero Tolerance for Aggression: Maintaining any schedule of flexibility requires the complete cessation of missile strikes, drone attacks (UAVs/USVs), sea-mining, or boardings targeting civilian ships in the central channel and mediated transit corridors.

Rejection of Arbitrary Tariffs: Washington reinforced that transit through the Strait of Hormuz must remain free of any tolls, tariffs, or discretionary authorization demands imposed unilaterally by Tehran.

Snapback Trigger: Any breach of security parameters or the occurrence of new incidents against commercial shipping will result in the immediate cancellation of granted waivers and the full reinstatement of the naval siege.

Negotiation Context

The reaffirmation of the performance-based doctrine comes amid Oman-mediated talks aiming to implement a 60-day test period in the strait. By establishing practical verification as an indispensable prerequisite, the U.S. government seeks to provide concrete guarantees to maritime insurers (P&I Clubs) and international shipping lines, signaling that a return to regular traffic will depend strictly on measurable de-escalation actions at sea.