Iran has outlined a series of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, demanding an end to hostilities, the lifting of sanctions and compensation for damages suffered during the war.
The demands could further complicate diplomatic efforts to restore normal navigation through the strategic waterway, which is vital to global energy supplies and international trade.
Tehran has effectively restricted movement through the strait since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Iranian authorities have also sought to impose tolls on vessels using the passage and have targeted ships accused of avoiding routes preferred by Tehran.
The disruption and repeated attacks contributed to the breakdown of an April ceasefire, while mediators have been pushing Iran and its opponents to revive the terms contained in a June memorandum.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman on the management and movement of vessels through the waterway were nearing completion.
However, he said the reopening of the strait would depend on additional conditions, including compensation over what he described as violations of the June agreement.
Iran’s security chief, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, later presented several demands, including an end to what he called the “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq.”
According to Tasnim news agency, Zolghadr also called for the removal of a parallel US naval blockade, the lifting of sanctions against Iran, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and compensation for wartime losses.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately insisted that the reopening of the waterway was not linked to the ongoing discussions between Iran and Oman.
The Guards said the reopening would only take place after Iran’s demands were accepted.
SHIPPING ATTACKS CONTINUE
The latest statements came amid continued concerns over the safety of vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates condemned what it described as an Iranian missile attack on a tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, while the vessel was sailing through the strait.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the incident caused no casualties.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UKMTO, later reported that a vessel had been struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman within the Strait of Hormuz. The incident reportedly caused a fire, which was subsequently brought under control, with no casualties recorded.
It remained unclear whether the vessel reported by UKMTO was the same ship referenced by the UAE.
ADNOC said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had come under attack in the waterway since the war began, including three incidents recorded within the week.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry also expressed concern over what it described as repeated attacks on ships passing through the strait, although it did not directly identify Iran as responsible.
At the same time, Muscat said talks on future navigation arrangements in the waterway were continuing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and warned against actions that could undermine the negotiations.
Under the previous Iran-US understanding, Iran and Oman were expected to negotiate future arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz alongside other Gulf states and in accordance with international law.
The use of tolls on international waterways such as Hormuz is generally restricted under international maritime law.
