Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the Strait of Hormuz will reopen only after the United States fully accepts Tehran’s conditions, as tensions over the strategic waterway continue to disrupt global shipping.
Sardar Mohebi, an IRGC spokesperson, said reopening the strait is not dependent on a separate agreement with Oman but on Washington accepting Iran’s demands.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, outlined several conditions, including US compensation to Iran and an end to the American naval blockade.
The demands are likely to face strong resistance from Washington. Richard Weitz, an international security expert at the NATO Defense College, said the compensation demand would be particularly difficult for the US administration to accept and could become a major obstacle to any agreement.
US Vice-President JD Vance said Washington is seeking guarantees that commercial vessels will not be attacked and that the Strait of Hormuz is cleared of mines to ensure safe passage.
Vance said Iran and Gulf countries, particularly Oman, have been discussing arrangements to restore safe maritime traffic, including a system for the safe passage of commercial vessels and demining operations.
The developments come as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply disrupted, with the waterway serving as a critical route for global oil and energy supplies, the news agencies reports.
Security expert Richard Weitz said the broader US-Iran negotiating process may need to be reconsidered, arguing that future talks should focus on specific issues separately.
He noted that the Strait of Hormuz involves interests beyond the US and Iran alone, while nuclear issues could require a separate and more detailed agreement.
