# TLDR: 2026-07-11 (Day 134) Lead: THE MUSCAT TALKS ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING IN THE SAME ROOM Compiled by a language model from that day's archived articles; analysis, not archive record. Page: https://iranwar.liminallayers.com/bulletins/tldr-2026-07-11/ Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); sources remain their publishers'. ## OVERVIEW Talks are happening in Muscat, probably, depending on who you ask. Iran's foreign minister flew to Oman while Iranian state media simultaneously declared no negotiations were possible until the US backs down, new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a public revenge pledge, and satellite imagery confirmed Iran is already rebuilding nuclear sites it agreed to leave alone. The diplomatic track is alive and under serious strain from every direction at once. ## THE MUSCAT TALKS ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING IN THE SAME ROOM The US wants a public Iranian statement that Hormuz is open, that shooting at ships was a mistake, and that all channels are toll-free, or the meeting ends badly for Iran. [7] [11] Iran's UN ambassador responded that strait control "rests exclusively with Iran" and outside interference violates the MoU. [15] These positions are not close. And yet the US sent Vance, Rubio, Witkoff, and Kushner to Oman, which is not nothing. [11] The real ask appears to be narrower than a full MoU revival: one public security statement, with the harder sovereignty and fee questions parked for later. There is even a reported back-channel admission from Iranian counterparts that the tanker attacks were a mistake by a "rogue internal group," which conveniently gives both sides a ladder to climb down. [11] Whether anyone in Tehran with actual guns honours whatever Araghchi signs is, as always, the real question. ## MOJTABA KHAMENEIS REVENGE PLEDGE LANDED ON THE SAME DAY AS THE DIPLOMACY His first major public statement called avenging "the blood of all the martyrs" a national demand that "must certainly be carried out," and specifically invited "individuals among the free people of the world" to each carry out "a part of this divine mission." [8] [5] That last line is not rhetorical: it is a call for distributed, non-state action. It was issued while his foreign minister was boarding a plane to Oman for de-escalation talks. The gap between those two signals tells you everything about how fractured Iranian decision-making actually is right now. ## IRAN IS REBUILDING NUCLEAR SITES IT AGREED TO LEAVE ALONE CNN and the Institute for Science and International Security analysed satellite imagery showing construction activity at Parchin and Pickaxe Mountain: concrete mixer trucks, mesh coverings over strike craters, active work. [13] The MoU requires Iran to maintain the status quo at all nuclear sites. [13] This matters for two reasons: it suggests reconstruction started before Trump declared the ceasefire over, and it hands Washington a documented grievance that is entirely separate from the Hormuz dispute. If US officials start publicly naming Parchin and Pickaxe Mountain as violations, that is the signal the nuclear file is being reopened as a strike justification. ## EUROPE IS QUIETLY BUILDING A LEGAL OFF-RAMP ON HORMUZ FEES Britain's deputy PM called compulsory tolls "disastrous," but cabinet colleagues acknowledged that fees for specific navigational services are legal under international law and exist in the Malacca Strait and the English Channel. [12] Oman has drafted a proposal, built with British lawyers, adapting the Malacca model to Hormuz. Iran's London embassy separately signalled interest in a Cambridge University proposal for a "transparent service fee embedded within an inclusive regional order." [12] The gap between "compulsory toll" and "voluntary navigational service fee consistent with international law" is where a deal might eventually live. It is not there yet, but someone is doing the legal architecture. ## IRAN CLAIMS IT TRIPLED DRONE OUTPUT DURING THE WAR The caretaker defence minister told parliament the country's drone production grew threefold even while strikes were ongoing. [4] This is an Iranian government claim and should be read accordingly. But it tracks with what US and Israeli officials have said privately about manufacturing resilience. If accurate, the air campaign degraded Iran's existing inventory without touching its production capacity. The drones that broke the ceasefire came from somewhere, and they will keep coming from somewhere. ## References 1. [JPO] The Jerusalem Post: Trump tells Iran to admit Strait attacks as Oman hosts talks on reopening Hormuz shipping 2. [MHR] Mehr News Agency: Iran, Oman discuss 'proportionate mechanism' for Hormuz 3. [MHR] Mehr News Agency: Iran may abandon MoU amid US violations 4. [TTM] Tehran Times: Iran tripled drone production during US-Israeli war: caretaker defense minister 5. [AJE] Al Jazeera: Hormuz shipping in focus as Iran-US rhetoric heats up 6. [CRD] The Cradle: Iranian FM visits Oman for Hormuz talks amid mounting US threats 7. [CRD] The Cradle: US issues 'ultimatum' that Iran commit to end tanker attacks in Hormuz 8. [AAM] Anadolu Agency — Middle East: Iran's supreme leader vows to avenge slain predecessor Ali Khamenei 9. [TOI] The Times of Israel: Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence signals shifting role for Iranian leader 10. [AJE] Al Jazeera: Trump trades threats with Iran’s leader as mediators struggle to save talks 11. [BBC] BBC News: US wants Iran to pledge to stop shooting at ships in Strait of Hormuz 12. [GDN] The Guardian — Middle East: Europe considering proposals to allow navigational fees in strait of Hormuz 13. [JPO] The Jerusalem Post: Iran rehabilitating damaged nuclear sites, satellite imagery shows - report 14. [CNN] CNN: CNN Exclusive: New satellite imagery reveals Iran may be rebuilding suspected nuclear facilities | CNN 15. [APW] Associated Press: Unclaimed airstrikes hit Iran after US ends its attacks