Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Will Fully Reopen Only After US Accepts All Its Conditions

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that the Strait of Hormuz will be fully reopened only after the United States accepts all of Iran’s conditions.

According to Iranian media, IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi said the reopening of the strategic waterway is not directly linked to ongoing negotiations between Iran and Oman, stressing that no external party should interfere in those talks.

Mohebi said the Strait of Hormuz is not merely a commercial shipping route for Iran but also an important source of the country’s geopolitical and strategic power. He warned that if hostile countries want the waterway reopened, they will have to accept all of Iran’s demands.

The statement comes as Iran and Oman appear to be moving closer to an interim arrangement aimed at facilitating maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also said that the two countries are close to reaching a new maritime arrangement, although further issues still need to be resolved before it can be fully implemented.

Earlier, US news website Axios reported that Iran, the United States and Oman had been working for several weeks on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed arrangement could reportedly remain in effect for around 60 days, with an option for an extension.

Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing a diplomat from a mediating country, reported that Iranian negotiators were awaiting approval from Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council to finalize the agreement.

Iran and Oman are now reportedly close to a limited maritime arrangement. However, the full restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains dependent on a final agreement, approval from Iran’s leadership and the resolution of fundamental differences between Tehran and Washington.