A man sits on a surfboard as a container ship and other commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 27, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP, File)
U.S. President Donald Trump said an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached within days but warned that Iran would face heavy strikes if negotiations failed.
“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,” Trump told Fox News on Aug. 4.
Speaking later to reporters in California, Trump said negotiators “had a very good day” and that a deal could come “tomorrow or the next day.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also voiced optimism, saying there was a chance of an agreement by midweek.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was involved in discussions between Iran and Oman aimed at increasing traffic through the waterway.
Iran, however, has denied holding negotiations with the United States, saying its discussions concern arrangements with Oman for passage through the strait.
Qatar, which is helping mediate, said diplomatic efforts were continuing but that no direct U.S.-Iran talks were scheduled.
Axios reported, citing regional and U.S. officials, that Washington, Tehran and Muscat were nearing a proposed 60-day interim arrangement for safe passage through the strait. No agreement had been announced yet.
Hormuz has become a central issue in efforts to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Tehran has restricted traffic through the waterway and sought greater control over shipping, including the collection of fees, while Washington insists that passage must remain open and toll-free.
The security situation remains volatile.
A cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile near the Omani coast on Aug. 4, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The incident was under investigation.
