WASHINGTON DEMANDS COMPLETE END TO IRANIAN ATTACKS AND BOARDINGS ON CIVILIAN SHIPS AS PREREQUISITE FOR HORMUZ DRAWDOWN

WASHINGTON DEMANDS COMPLETE END TO IRANIAN ATTACKS AND BOARDINGS ON CIVILIAN SHIPS AS PREREQUISITE FOR HORMUZ DRAWDOWN

U.S. government reaffirms that an absolute cessation of aggression against merchant shipping is a non-negotiable condition for any easing of the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf.

The United States Government and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) have formalized before mediators in Muscat the core demand for advancing diplomatic talks in the Strait of Hormuz: the immediate, verifiable, and unrestricted cessation of all attacks, boardings, and hostile interference by Iranian forces against civilian and commercial vessels.

The operational directive establishes a firm red line for progress under the proposed 60-day transition plan. Washington emphasized that the safety of civilian crews, oil tankers, and cargo ships is an indisputable international principle and cannot serve as a bargaining chip for political or financial concessions.

Key Pillars of the U.S. Demand:

Total Cessation of Interference: The demand mandates an absolute ban on missile strikes, drone attacks (UAVs/USVs), sea-mining along commercial routes, interceptions by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast attack craft, and any attempt to seize merchant vessels.

Incident-Free Benchmark: The White House reiterated that the issuance of operational waivers and the drawdown of the U.S. military presence will only occur following a practical audit of a continuous period entirely free of aggression against civilian shipping in the channel.

Protection for Neutral International Shipping: The document stresses that attacks on third-nation vessels—including tankers operating on behalf of regional state enterprises like the UAE's ADNOC—violate the Law of the Sea and prevent the reinstatement of standard maritime insurance coverage (P&I Clubs).

Direct Attribution to Tehran: Washington signaled that actions carried out by regional paramilitary proxies or unidentified vessels within the strait will be attributed directly to Iranian military command, triggering immediate snapback mechanisms to invalidate any negotiated truce.

Impact on Negotiations

Reaffirming this demand places the complete end of hostilities against merchant traffic as the mandatory first step toward unblocking Iranian ports and terminals. By establishing the immunity of the civilian fleet as an indispensable prerequisite, U.S. diplomacy seeks to insulate technical transit discussions from any attempt at maritime coercion.