Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen unless Washington meets a broad set of political, military and financial demands, even as Iran and Oman near a temporary agreement for limited commercial shipping.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran on Saturday laid out a sweeping set of conditions for fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, linking access to the vital shipping corridor to demands that the United States lift sanctions, end its naval blockade, withdraw military forces from around Iran and compensate Tehran for damage caused during the war.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran is also demanding the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to attacks on Iran’s regional allies and a halt to threats against the country. The demands introduce a broader political and military dimension into negotiations that had appeared increasingly focused on finding a practical way to restore commercial shipping through the strait.
The announcement came as Iran and neighboring Oman moved closer to a temporary arrangement that could allow vessels to resume limited transit while the two sides work through the technical and legal questions surrounding a longer-term system. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Saturday that Tehran and Muscat were “very close” to an agreement establishing such a route.
Araqchi cautioned, however, that an agreement with Oman would not automatically mean a full reopening of Hormuz. He said that outcome would depend on additional conditions being met, including compensation from the United States for what Iran considers violations of a June cease-fire agreement.
Iran’s military leadership simultaneously signaled that Tehran views its position in the strait as permanent rather than temporary. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Amir Akraminia called Iran’s control of Hormuz “irreversible” and warned Washington that it must accept the new reality or face greater costs.
The escalating rhetoric coincided with another security incident in the waterway. The United Arab Emirates accused Iran on Saturday of firing a missile at a vessel affiliated with the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company while the ship was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported, and Iran did not immediately respond to the accusation.
Oman, which has been playing a central role in negotiations, condemned repeated attacks on vessels in the strait while saying talks with Iran were continuing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere.” The two tracks — practical negotiations over safe commercial passage and Iran’s broader demands on the United States — now appear to be moving in parallel.
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday that Washington still views negotiations over Hormuz as unresolved. Speaking to Fox News, Vance described the discussions as being in “the middle of the game” and said U.S. officials are working on a system designed to allow commercial vessels to transit the strait safely.
“What we’re really working through now is how you can actually set up a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass through safely,” Vance said. “That includes of course demining, but it also includes a commitment from the Iranians that they’re not going to fire at commercial vessels.”
The stakes remain significant for global energy markets. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of worldwide oil and gas shipments moved through the Strait of Hormuz, making sustained disruption there a major risk for international energy supplies and shipping.
The current conflict began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. While discussions with Oman may create a path toward limited commercial transit, Tehran’s new conditions indicate that a complete reopening of the strait is now tied to a much wider dispute with Washington over sanctions, military deployments, regional operations and the financial consequences of the war.
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