Nicolai Haugsted
Iran sets price for reopening Strait of Hormuz amid escalating US tensions.
Pressure surrounding one of the world’s most important shipping routes remains high as Iran and the United States remain divided over the terms required to restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Digi24, Tehran said Tuesday that the strategic waterway will remain closed until Washington fulfills commitments Iran says were included in an agreement reached in June.
Iranian chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf outlined several demands during remarks broadcast on state television, including changes to US sanctions and military operations.
According to Ghalibaf, reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on the United States implementing its obligations under the June agreement.
The Iranian demands include lifting what Tehran describes as a US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ending the oil embargo and stopping military operations across all fronts.
Ghalibaf said the strait “will not be opened as long as the American commitments set out in the agreement protocol (…) have not been implemented.”
Closure of the waterway has become a central issue in the confrontation because of its importance to international energy supplies. Iran has imposed restrictions on shipping through the passage while negotiations over its future continue.
Ship struck by missile
Fresh security concerns emerged Tuesday after a vessel was struck by a missile of unknown origin while leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, reported that the strike caused damage to the ship’s engine room and resulted in one casualty.
Remaining crew members were taken into the care of the Omani coast guard, according to the agency.
No environmental damage had been reported following the incident.
Authorities are investigating both the nature of the attack and the origin of the projectile. Similar incidents in recent months have been attributed to Iranian forces targeting vessels accused of attempting to circumvent shipping routes imposed by Tehran, according to the source material.
Oman holds talks with Iran
Diplomatic activity surrounding the strait has also brought Oman into the dispute.
Oman and Iran have spent several weeks discussing arrangements for the strategically important passage without direct US participation.
President Donald Trump responded Monday with a threat against Oman if its involvement interfered with Washington’s efforts to secure an agreement.
“If Oman gets in our way, we’ll bomb them directly,” Trump said in comments to Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, according to Yingst’s post on X.
Trump’s warning came as Washington seeks its own resolution to the dispute over the waterway while Tehran continues to link its reopening to broader American concessions.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and represents a critical corridor for international energy shipments.
Control over passage through the strait has consequently become an important bargaining point for Tehran during its confrontation with Washington.
Iran’s latest position leaves reopening dependent on several broader disputes between the two countries, ranging from frozen assets and oil restrictions to ongoing military operations.
Ghalibaf’s remarks indicate that Tehran currently considers implementation of the June commitments a prerequisite for restoring access through the waterway.
