Tehran, Iran – Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced Saturday that the vital Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to full international transit until the United States meets a series of six Iranian demands. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the council's secretary, stated that Washington must "correct its behavior" for the strategic waterway to reopen.
Iran's Six Conditions for Reopening Hormuz
The conditions laid out by Iran for the complete reopening of the strait are:
- An end to what Iran describes as threats against its supreme leader.
- A permanent halt to military action targeting Iran and its regional allies.
- The withdrawal of US naval and air forces involved in the blockade of Iranian ships.
- Compensation for damages incurred during recent conflicts.
- The lifting of all US sanctions against Iran.
- The release of Iran's frozen assets held internationally.
Iran's regional allies, often referred to as its "Axis of Resistance," include groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Iran-aligned Shia armed groups in Iraq.
No Retreat From Demands
Zolghadr emphasized that these demands reflect the will of the Iranian people, citing nationwide rallies held over the past six days. "The Supreme National Security Council will not retreat from these demands, whether in war or in negotiations," he affirmed. The Iranian Army echoed this sentiment, stating that the new arrangements governing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are irreversible.
Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, spokesperson for the Iranian Army, asserted that the US has no alternative but to accept the current situation in the strait. Speaking in Tehran, Akraminia warned that any aggressor failing to acknowledge these new realities would face "much greater costs" than in the past, underscoring the Iranian Armed Forces' determination to maintain the new order.
Oman Talks Not a Full Reopening
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi clarified that ongoing negotiations in Oman regarding transit through the Strait of Hormuz do not signify a full reopening of the waterway. Araghchi stated that these talks are focused solely on establishing temporary transit paths, with the designation of provisional routes nearing completion based on maps provided by the Iranian armed forces.
He stressed that while results from these discussions are expected soon, they should not be misinterpreted as a general reopening. A complete reopening, Araghchi reiterated, remains contingent upon addressing Iran's broader conditions, particularly those concerning what Tehran views as violations of agreements by Washington, including the demand for compensation.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who have been involved in targeting ships in the region, also confirmed that the strait's reopening is directly tied to America accepting Iran's conditions and is separate from the Iran-Oman negotiations. Recently, Iran has targeted US bases in Gulf states and Jordan, and has struck ships in Hormuz following the collapse of an interim deal. The UAE reported Saturday that an Iranian missile attacked a carrier affiliated with its state oil company as it transited Hormuz.