On August 4, 2026, President Donald Trump made allegations against Iran, accusing it of duplicity while asserting that discussions about reopening the Strait of Hormuz could begin as early as Tuesday. This claim clashed with Tehran’s denial of any ongoing talks. The situation was further complicated by an attack on a cargo vessel near the Oman Coast of the Strait. This incident was reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, run by the British navy to protect commercial shipping in risky areas.
Due to continued limited traffic through the Strait, the international oil benchmark Brent crude saw a 2.7% increase on Tuesday. This rise reflected market uncertainty instead of confidence in the diplomatic efforts. A photograph from Tehran showed a woman waving an Iranian flag with an image of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visible in the background.
On Monday, Trump labeled Iran as “unbelievably duplicitous,” accusing it of initially expressing a desire for talks to end hostilities, only to publicly declare that no discussions were happening. “They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’” he wrote on Truth Social. “Talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman.’”
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded, stating there were no negotiations with the United States. Instead, Iran was in talks with Oman about establishing a temporary safe passage through the Strait. He further noted that Iran did not plan to host foreign delegations or dispatch negotiators abroad in the near future. Pictures from Tehran showed people walking past a banner critical of the U.S. and Israel.
Later, when addressing reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that negotiations with Tehran were ongoing. “It’s an amazing thing we have a little problem with Iran because we have many talks, and we’ll say we have or we don’t have. You know, we’re straight about it, but they deny it,” said Trump. “But they’re not denying it now. They just put out a statement not denying it.” There was hope for reopening the Strait, with parties discussing having it fully operational by the next day as part of a phased approach. The subsequent phase would address Iran’s nuclear program.
An escalation in tensions resulted in President Trump previously canceling new strikes on Iran, allowing for what he described as renewed negotiations. Despite these diplomatic efforts, attacks persisted, including a cargo vessel’s report of being struck by an “unknown projectile” off Oman’s coast Monday night according to UKMTO. Sources indicated that the affected ship was a dry bulk vessel; the crew had to evacuate, with one seafarer missing.
Normally, about 100 ships would pass through the Strait of Hormuz daily in peacetime. An NBC News analysis of MarineTraffic data revealed that only six vessels made the passage on Monday. Among these were the Chinese owned tanker Starway and the Indian managed Horizon 1, both using the route south of Larak Island. Without a safe passage agreement between Iran and Oman, some ships risk traveling closer to the Omani coast with their transponders off to avoid broadcasting their locations. The ship attacked on Monday evening was one such vessel, highlighting ongoing risks in the region.