Rejecting Oman’s “Strait of Hormuz” proposal and demanding more control, Iran fires missiles again at U.S. military bases.

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The situation in the Middle East has heated up sharply after a brief respite. On Tuesday, Iran launched several ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan, while rejecting Oman’s proposal for equal joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting on dominant control over this key global energy passage, putting the already fragile ceasefire and diplomatic mediation to severe test.

According to CCTV News, the U.S. Central Command stated that at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time on the 28th, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from within Iran, “attempting a surprise attack on U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East”; all missiles were successfully intercepted. The U.S. military remains on high alert and battle-ready. Iran has not yet responded. This is Iran’s first ballistic missile attack on a U.S. military base since last Friday, when Trump announced the suspension of strikes against Iran to allow space for diplomatic mediation.

This attack directly threatens the continuation of the current ceasefire and could force Trump to reassess whether to resume military actions. In an Axios interview Monday, Trump said that the U.S. and Iran are in “very deep negotiations” but warned that if diplomatic efforts fail, “very tough military action” would be restarted, emphasizing that there is “not much time left” for negotiations.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, Iran rejected Oman’s proposal for equal joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, causing much dissatisfaction among mediators, casting a shadow over efforts to restart U.S.-Iran peace talks.

Iran opens fire again, ceasefire situation suddenly under pressure

According to CCTV News, the U.S. Central Command characterized this attack as an “attempted surprise strike.” Jordan, the target country of Iran’s attack, was the place where two U.S. soldiers died earlier this month in missile and drone attacks, an incident that had prompted Trump to escalate strikes against Iran for 13 consecutive nights.

The missile launch occurred just hours after Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The White House described the talks as “positive and productive,” with Iran being the central topic.

According to media reports, Trump had previously stated clearly, if diplomatic efforts fail, the U.S. will quickly return to the military track. Iran has not made any public response so far after this attack.

Strait of Hormuz talks break down, Iran demands dominant control

According to media reports, Oman proposed a temporary plan suggesting the passageway in the Strait of Hormuz be equally divided between Iran and Oman. However, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Tuesday clearly rejected the proposal, saying it “does not address Iran’s security concerns.”

Gharibabadi later explained Iran’s counterproposal on national TV: the inbound channel must be fully under Iranian control, while Oman may manage part of the outbound channel. “If they accept this proposal, we will move to the next stage,” he stated. According to CCTV News citing the Deputy Foreign Minister, Tehran proposed to Oman that Iran manage one side’s single-direction passage through the Strait of Hormuz while Oman manages the other side.

Iran’s tough stance has a clear logic. According to media reports, an Iranian official said Monday that Tehran insists on full control over the waterway because U.S. military supplies used for attacks on Iranian territory are transported via the Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. official responded Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and Iran has no right to impose control or restrict passage, criticizing Iran for “making excessive and unreasonable demands.”

Strait of Hormuz: Global energy lifeline and focus of disputes

The strategic value of the Strait of Hormuz is self-evident. Media reports say that before the war, about 100 ships freely passed through the strait daily, with tankers transporting about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products per day—around one-fifth of global oil consumption.

However, current passage has shrunk significantly. According to CCTV News citing Kepler International Market Services, although both the U.S. and Iran have suspended attacks on each other, from the 24th to the 26th, daily cargo ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz was only in single digits. According to Iranian insider sources, at dawn on the 27th, six ships with navigation and positioning systems turned off attempted to traverse a “illegal and unsafe” route in the southern Strait of Hormuz, one had an accident, and the rest were “guided” back to the Persian Gulf.

For long-term arrangements, media reports say Omani officials proposed establishing a regional consortium to oversee maritime safety, search and rescue, and other cooperation, which has Gulf states’ support and would be funded by voluntary donations from regional countries, shipping, and oil industries. Iran insists that all passing ships pay mandatory maritime service fees, a stance opposed by Gulf countries and the U.S.

Diplomatic mediation frustrated, mediation efforts under pressure

Media reports say mediators from Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt are still working to clarify vague wording in the preliminary peace agreement signed last month by the U.S. and Iran. The dispute centers on Iran interpreting relevant agreement language as granting it rights to control the Strait of Hormuz and collect transit fees, which the U.S. explicitly opposes.

According to CCTV News, an Omani diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran on the 24th, aiming to establish an appropriate mechanism for managing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghai said on the 26th that the meeting was “productive and achieved some progress.” The Omani delegation left Tehran on the 25th, but technical and political consultations will continue.

However, Iran’s subsequent rejection of Oman’s proposal left mediators deeply dissatisfied. Media reports say mediators believe Iran’s move seriously harmed their efforts to restart U.S.-Iran peace talks.

Meanwhile, actions by Yemen’s Houthi forces further intensified regional tension. According to CCTV News, the Houthis announced on the 28th that they had carried out a military strike against a Saudi oil tanker, used multiple ballistic missiles, and forced the ship to turn back. The statement said the Houthis will continue to enforce the maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, adhering to the principle of “blockade for blockade, escalation for escalation.”

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