Iran Says Hormuz Shipping Lanes Won't Open Until US Meets Multiple Demands

Iranian officials reported that negotiations with Oman to establish new maritime corridors through the Strait of Hormuz are close to a final agreement, but Tehran insists the United States must satisfy several preconditions before the channel can be reopened. Those conditions include compensation for damage caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes, the removal of the U.S. naval blockade, the lifting of sanctions, and an end to further threats against Iran and its regional allies.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said messages are being exchanged via intermediaries, as direct talks remain stalled. A U.S. official indicated that the blockade would be lifted once Iran implements its commitments, though the sequencing remains delicate. Regional fallout continues, with the United Arab Emirates accusing Iran of attacking a state-oil vessel and the Houthi movement claiming a strike on Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan clarified that a new Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact is not aimed at Iran.