US-Iran dispute over Strait of Hormuz reignited by ambiguous memorandum

The Trump administration withdrew from a June 17 memorandum that was meant to ease tensions between the United States and Iran after earlier successes in the conflict. A key provision, paragraph 5, calls for Iran to arrange safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz and to remove military obstacles, but the language is ambiguous.

Washington interpreted the clause as a de‑blocking of the strait, while Tehran viewed it as granting exclusive Iranian control. The United States has been secretly escorting vessels through a southern corridor off Oman, but recent Iranian attacks on ships using that route have raised fears that the cease‑fire first announced in early April could collapse. Mediators warn that the vague wording will complicate future talks on more contentious issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.

"The two sides are "on different planets" regarding the paragraph," an American official told the Wall Street Journal, underscoring the deep mistrust that now threatens renewed naval confrontations in the strategic waterway.