Iran asserts control over Strait of Hormuz shipping routes, complicating U.S. nuclear deal negotiations

Iran is asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting shipping lanes, demanding transit fees, and attacking non-compliant vessels, including a Singaporean cargo ship. These actions have triggered retaliatory U.S. airstrikes and Iranian counter-strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait. While U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner hold indirect talks in Doha to end the war, Tehran is using its maritime leverage to complicate negotiations and resist international mine-clearing efforts led by France.

Iranian navigation restrictions

• ▪Iranian state television reported on July 1, 2026, that a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after choosing an unapproved route.
• ▪Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that only authorized maritime routes would be guaranteed safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
• ▪Iran's maritime authority closed the central corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, requiring ships to pass along Iran's coastline with its approval.

Cargo ship attacks

• ▪An Iranian attack on a Singaporean ship transiting the southern route near Oman led the International Maritime Organization to abandon the alternative route plan.
• ▪A cargo ship sailing Omani territorial waters was damaged by a missile of unknown origin 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit on June 25, 2026.
• ▪Iran attacked two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including one carrying crude oil from Qatar, for transiting without Tehran's permission.

U.S.-Iran military strikes

• ▪The United States launched retaliatory airstrikes following Iranian attacks on cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
• ▪Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on June 28, 2026, in response to United States airstrikes.

Alternative route safety risks

• ▪The alternative route near Oman was designed to allow nearly 11,000 vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf a safe way to exit.
• ▪The alternative southern route along the Omani coastline runs close to the shore, posing high safety risks in the event of engine or steering failure.

Sea mine clearance dispute

• ▪Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that under the interim deal, demining in the Strait of Hormuz is to be carried out solely by Iran.
• ▪French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 29, 2026, that France would collaborate with Oman to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz.
• ▪International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated on June 24, 2026, that over 80 mines must be cleared from the central shipping lane.

Strait of Hormuz leverage

• ▪United States Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha, Qatar, on June 30, 2026, for mediated talks to end the war.
• ▪Under an interim agreement, Iran and the United States agreed to allow ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz uncharged for 60 days.
• ▪Iran is using its control over the Strait of Hormuz as its primary bargaining tool in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

4 sources