At least 17 people were killed and 115 wounded in U.S. airstrikes on six Iranian cities earlier this week, Iran's Health Ministry reported Saturday, as fragile diplomacy aimed at securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz teetered on the edge of collapse. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Oman on Saturday to discuss arrangements for reopening the strategic waterway, which carries one-fifth of global oil supplies, while Washington demanded a public Iranian pledge to halt attacks on commercial shipping.
The escalation followed attacks on three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers earlier in the week, which prompted U.S. strikes on Iranian sites and Iranian retaliatory strikes on U.S. military installations in Gulf states. U.S. President Donald Trump declared Friday that the ceasefire reached between the two countries was "OVER," even as he confirmed the U.S. and Iran had agreed to continue talks. No attacks were reported Friday or early Saturday, but the threat of renewed violence loomed over negotiations mediated by Oman and Qatar.
Civilian Toll and Economic Pain
The conflict, now in its fifth month, has killed thousands and spread insecurity across the Gulf region. Oil prices posted their biggest weekly rise in eight weeks as the fighting throttled worldwide energy supplies, raising fears of a global economic downturn and increasing pain for U.S. consumers ahead of November congressional elections. After weeks of steady declines, crude prices surged as uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz's future gripped global markets.
Tehran has largely taken control of the strait during the war, forcing a stalemate that has left commercial shipping vulnerable and energy markets volatile. The U.S. is demanding that Iran publicly commit to stopping attacks on ships and opening all lanes through the waterway with no tolls, senior U.S. officials told reporters Friday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Washington of violating the ceasefire agreement after the U.S. revoked the license authorizing the sale of Iranian crude on Tuesday, four days ago. "There can only be mutual compliance," he wrote on X.
Diplomacy Under Strain
Qatari negotiators met officials in Iran on Friday to de-escalate tensions and discuss the Strait of Hormuz, a person with knowledge of the situation told Reuters. A senior Iranian source said a call between Iran, the U.S., Qatar and Pakistan had been agreed, with mediators trying to arrange it for Saturday while Araqchi was in Oman. CBS News and the BBC reported that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to lead negotiations Saturday with Araqchi. Iran's Fars news agency later cited a source saying no negotiations would take place until the U.S. retreated from its positions.
Senior U.S. officials told reporters Friday that Iran had informed U.S. officials that recent attacks on shipping were from an "errant part of their system," comments that appeared aimed at calming tensions. Even so, U.S. officials said conversations between the two countries had been productive in recent days. Tehran warned that any breach of commitments by Washington would be met with "reciprocal action."
Threats and Vengeance
A written statement from Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, on Saturday threatened vengeance for the death of his predecessor and father, who was killed less than one year ago on February 28. Released to mark funeral ceremonies for former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei two days ago, which the new leader didn't attend, it said the vengeance would take place whatever happened to Iran. "We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs," the message said. At the funeral ceremonies Thursday, a huge crowd of mourners packed a courtyard, some bearing banners reading, "We Will Kill Trump."
Trump posted Friday that he had ordered the U.S. military to be prepared to launch thousands of missiles against Iran if Tehran attempted to assassinate him. The Wall Street Journal and other U.S. media reported this week that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington that Iran had recently devised a plan to assassinate Trump. There was no immediate comment from Iran on Trump's latest remarks.
Last month's interim deal was meant to pave the way to ending a conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran less than one year ago on February 28. The flare-up this week cast further doubt over the future of that agreement and raised politically sensitive concerns for Trump ahead of November congressional elections later this year.
Why This Matters:
The renewed violence in the Gulf underscores the fragility of diplomatic efforts to contain a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives and destabilized global energy markets. The death of 17 civilians in this week's U.S. strikes and the wounding of 115 more illustrate the human cost of a military approach that has failed to secure lasting de-escalation. With the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for one-fifth of the world's oil—still contested, the economic consequences reach far beyond the region, hitting consumers worldwide with higher energy prices. The cycle of attack and retaliation, ceasefire and collapse, reflects a dangerous pattern: neither side has found a path to sustainable security, and each escalation makes the next one more likely. The gap between the interim deal signed last month and the reality on the ground reveals how quickly diplomatic progress can unravel when military logic overtakes political negotiation.