- Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets its conditions for ending the conflict
- Tehran wants Washington to end the war and release Iran’s frozen assets
- Uncertainty over the waterway has pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns over global shipping
Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the United States changes its position and accepts Tehran’s conditions for ending the ongoing conflict.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued the warning on Tuesday, signalling that a potential agreement with Oman over passage through the strategic waterway may not automatically lead to its reopening.
Rezaei, regarded as an ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran had communicated its demands to Washington through intermediaries.
He said the United States must end the war, release Iran’s frozen assets and support an end to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon and Gaza.
According to Rezaei, any agreement reached between Iran and Oman concerning a transit route through the Strait of Hormuz would be separate from the broader decision to reopen the waterway.
“As long as America does not change its behaviour and does not accept Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened,” Rezaei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Khamenei, also reinforced Tehran’s position in a post on X, saying the waterway would remain closed until Iran’s demands were fulfilled.
The latest statements have heightened concerns over global energy supplies, with oil prices rising as markets reacted to uncertainty surrounding the future of the major shipping route.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for international energy trade, with a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passing through the waterway before the conflict.
There was no immediate response from Washington to Rezaei’s remarks. However, US President Donald Trump has introduced additional demands, including compensation from Iran for deaths and damage linked to decades of conflict.
Trump also accused Tehran of being difficult in negotiations and said his administration was considering different options for dealing with the Iranian government.
The US president has repeatedly alternated between threatening further military action and suggesting that a diplomatic agreement could still be reached.
Earlier, Pakistan had raised hopes that negotiations could produce an arrangement capable of easing tensions and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said recent signals suggested the two sides were moving closer to an agreement.
The conflict has already caused thousands of deaths, particularly in Iran and Lebanon, since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
Iran has responded with strikes targeting US-linked assets and infrastructure in several countries, including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, fresh attacks on commercial shipping have added to concerns over maritime security in the region.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry reported that four crew members were killed in a suspected attack by Iran-aligned Houthi fighters on a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday. The vessel, the Egyptian-owned Tihamah, was reportedly targeted, although the Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the incident.
Separately, a container ship was reportedly struck by a missile while travelling near Pakistan through the Gulf of Oman. Sources said the incident was suspected to have involved US forces.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a US official said the vessel was struck by a US military helicopter after its crew allegedly ignored warnings from personnel enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The United States first announced the blockade in April and reinstated it in July after a June agreement between Washington and Tehran broke down.
The latest developments have further complicated diplomatic efforts to restore normal shipping through the Gulf and reduce the wider economic and security consequences of the conflict.
