The United States is pressing Iran for a public commitment to stop firing on commercial ships and to declare the Strait of Hormuz open as negotiations are set to resume this Saturday. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to US media outlets, indicated that Tehran has privately acknowledged to President Donald Trump's advisors that the recent attacks on vessels were a mistake, attributing them to a rogue internal faction.

This demand comes after a significant escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, which marked the most serious exchange of fire between the US and Iran since a ceasefire agreement was signed in June. The agreement stipulated, in part, that Iran would ensure safe passage for commercial ships.

Senior US officials informed CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that Iran has suggested a "sect of hardliners" was attempting to sabotage the ongoing negotiations by targeting shipping. One official reportedly conveyed Iran's message to the US as, "We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let's keep talking."

During a briefing for reporters, US officials stated that a message had been delivered to Iran's leadership via regional mediators. This message explicitly demands a public statement from Iran affirming the openness of the Strait of Hormuz and a pledge to halt attacks on commercial vessels. "They're either going to give us that statement or we're not having a good outcome for them," one official was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, are expected to lead the upcoming negotiations. These talks are anticipated to take place in Oman on Saturday. Concurrently, a delegation from Qatar traveled to Iran on Friday with the objective of de-escalating tensions and facilitating navigation through the critical maritime chokepoint.

President Trump posted on Truth Social earlier on Friday, stating, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" No further attacks were reported on Friday, following the earlier clashes.

The recent conflict saw three ships struck while transiting a US-recommended route through Omani waters. Iran has consistently maintained that the only secure passage is a different route that passes through its territorial waters. Progress had been made last month when the US and Iran agreed on a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at extending the ceasefire and ending hostilities across all fronts.

As part of that agreement, Iran and Oman are tasked with holding discussions with other Gulf states to define the future administration and maritime services within the Strait. During the recent conflict, Iran asserted its sovereignty over the strait by establishing the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority," which it claimed would manage maritime affairs in the region.