Hormuz Guarantees and Nuclear Dust: Washington Tightens the Conditions for an Agreement with Iran

Washington has made public guarantees regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the transfer of highly enriched nuclear material—referred to as “nuclear dust”—key conditions for moving forward with an agreement with Tehran.

Senior U.S. officials stated that the United States is demanding that Iran issue an official public statement confirming an end to attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and guaranteeing that all shipping lanes in the Gulf remain open to maritime traffic without the imposition of fees or restrictions.

Speaking to a limited group of journalists during a conference call, the officials described recent discussions between Washington and Tehran as productive.

One official stated: “What we are asking is for Iran to issue an official statement confirming that all shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are open and that it has stopped firing on commercial vessels. Either we receive that statement, or we will have nothing to offer in return.”

A senior official also said that Iran had informed Washington that the latest attacks on vessels in the Strait had been carried out by “a dysfunctional element within its own system.”

Another official commented: “It appears that a power struggle is unfolding before our eyes between Iran’s hard-line conservatives and its pragmatists.”

Over the past several days, three commercial oil tankers have reportedly come under attack in the Strait, prompting the United States to launch strikes against Iranian positions.

U.S. President Donald Trump also announced that the ceasefire agreement signed by both sides in June had officially come to an end.

One U.S. official said: “We hope to reach the point where they explicitly announce that they have stopped firing on commercial vessels and acknowledge, either explicitly or implicitly, that they were wrong. That is what we are working toward.”

The official added: “President Trump has instructed us to continue engaging in dialogue. However, if they continue attacking commercial shipping or undertake any other hostile actions, we will respond.”

Washington’s principal demand remains the transfer of Iran’s nuclear material. U.S. officials believe Tehran possesses more than 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which President Trump and other senior American officials have referred to as “nuclear dust.”

The nuclear issue was originally scheduled to be addressed during the sixty-day negotiation period established under the memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in June.

One official emphasized: “Let me be absolutely clear: if we do not obtain this nuclear dust, there will be no agreement with Iran.”

He added that the United States has “many options” should Iran refuse, including both military and economic measures.