Iran says Hormuz will stay limited until US meets its demands

Iran’s senior security figure, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, declared that the Strait of Hormuz will not be restored to normal shipping until the United States meets a series of demands, including a total military withdrawal, lifting of the naval blockade, removal of sanctions, payment for war damages and an end to attacks on Iran’s allies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also stressed that the reopening depends on the US accepting Iran’s “legal and logical conditions,” not on any agreement with Oman.

Negotiators are close to a provisional deal that would open a narrow Iran-Oman corridor for limited vessels, with no tolls and a 60-day window for a permanent cease-fire, after which the US would lift its blockade. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates denounced a missile attack on one of its oil company’s ships as an act of piracy and demanded an unconditional reopening of the strait. Traffic through Hormuz remains under 10% of pre-war volumes, reflecting ongoing security concerns. Iran also seeks permanent strategic control of the waterway and the right to impose a toll of up to 7%.