A senior Iranian official on Saturday set far-reaching conditions for the United States before any easing of the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, dampening hopes that the strategically important waterway at the center of the war in the Middle East could reopen.
The statements by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, contrast with progress announced in recent days in negotiations between Iran and Oman over the future management of the Strait.
“The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the United States changes its behavior,” he warned, according to remarks carried by Iranian media, before outlining a series of conditions.
Iran is primarily demanding that Washington “definitively end the war and aggression” against the Islamic Republic and its allies and lift the blockade imposed on its ports.
Tehran is also seeking the removal of US sanctions, the release of its frozen assets, and “full compensation” for the damage caused by the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Some of these conditions were included in the US-Iranian framework agreement reached in June, which established a ceasefire and allowed maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. The agreement was also expected to pave the way for negotiations toward a broader settlement of the conflict.
However, the ceasefire collapsed in early July, leading to a resumption of US strikes and Iranian retaliation against Washington’s allies in the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to the global trade in oil and gas, was subsequently sealed again by the Islamic Republic. Iran regularly targets vessels entering the waterway without its permission.
Positive negotiations
Tehran has refused to return to the conditions that existed before the war and ultimately intends to impose service charges on vessels using the Strait, a proposal strongly opposed by the United States.
Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic said in recent days that it had reached an agreement with Oman—which also borders the Strait of Hormuz—on a route for vessels to pass through the waterway.
The negotiations “are taking place in a positive and constructive atmosphere,” Oman’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Without naming Iran directly, however, it condemned “repeated attacks” and called on all sides to refrain from actions that could jeopardize the diplomatic process.
A tanker operated by the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, ADNOC, was targeted by a missile in the Strait, Abu Dhabi announced on Saturday. No casualties were reported, and the UAE attributed the attack to Iran.
ADNOC said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had been targeted in the Strait since the war began in late February, including three during the past week alone.
Pause in airstrikes
Iran, which has not commented on the attacks, said negotiations with Oman were “approaching their final stage,” according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. With an announcement expected for several days, Araghchi cited “technical issues” to explain the delay.
However, the completion of the negotiations “certainly does not mean that Hormuz will reopen,” the Iranian Foreign Minister reiterated. He referred to additional “conditions and compensation” that would have to be discussed before this could happen.
Apart from the continuing closure of the Strait, no other diplomatic breakthrough appears imminent, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program, after more than five months of conflict in the Middle East that has also shaken the global economy.
US airstrikes have been suspended for more than a week. However, US President Donald Trump has made the continuation of the pause conditional on the rapid conclusion of an agreement, while leaving open the threat of further large-scale strikes.
Against this backdrop, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), reportedly traveled on Saturday to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to “assess the situation,” according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
Neither the United States nor Israel has confirmed the reported visit.
