Iran sets conditions for reopening Hormuz as US deal stalls
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Iran has laid out tough conditions for reopening the strait of Hormuz, insisting the waterway will remain closed until the United States "corrects its behaviour", even as the UAE reported that one of its oil tankers was struck by an Iranian missile. The standoff leaves the strait, a vital corridor for global oil and gas exports, effectively blockaded, with Oman's mediation efforts yet to produce a breakthrough as the 60-day deadline for a final US-Iran deal draws close, though it could be extended.
Tehran's demands, set out by supreme national security council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, call for a permanent end to the war, withdrawal of US forces from the region, lifting of the naval blockade and sanctions, full compensation for war damage, and unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiators were close to agreeing a transit route but that other conditions still blocked reopening, blaming the impasse on alleged US violations of the June interim deal; Oman described talks as continuing "in a positive and constructive atmosphere". Iran has also imposed a de facto blockade and sought to charge tolls for passage, drawing US opposition, while Emirati authorities said an Adnoc-owned vessel was hit by an Iranian missile on Saturday. President Masoud Pezeshkian said he believed Iran was now in a strong position to strike an agreement.
- Iran demands US end war, sanctions and blockade before reopening Hormuz
- UAE says Iranian missile struck one of its Adnoc oil tankers
- 60-day deadline for a final US-Iran deal nears, deal still unresolved
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Iran and the United States have been locked in confrontation for weeks, with the strait of Hormuz at the centre of the dispute. This narrow waterway between Iran and Oman is one of the world's busiest shipping routes for oil and gas, so any threat to its use has knock-on effects for energy markets and global trade far beyond the region.
Tension escalated after military action between the two countries, and Iran has since linked the strait's reopening to a set of conditions it wants the US to meet, including a formal end to hostilities, the withdrawal of American forces from the region, and the lifting of sanctions and a naval blockade. Oman has been trying to broker a deal between Washington and Tehran, but talks have struggled to bridge the gap between what each side is willing to offer.
The UAE, a close US ally and major oil exporter, has also been drawn in, with its state oil company Adnoc reporting repeated attacks on its tankers during the standoff. The situation matters because a prolonged closure or disruption of the strait could unsettle oil supplies and shipping costs worldwide, while the stalled negotiations raise questions about whether the wider conflict can be resolved diplomatically.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of Tehran's stance argue that after enduring military strikes, war damage and years of sanctions, Iran is entitled to demand verifiable guarantees rather than vague assurances before normalising a strategic waterway it also depends on economically. They contend that a durable peace requires enforceable terms – a genuine end to hostilities, withdrawal of foreign forces from the region, compensation for damage suffered, and access to its own frozen assets – and that holding firm on these points is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty rather than obstruction. From this view, blaming the impasse on alleged US violations of the June interim agreement reflects a reasonable insistence that commitments already made be honoured first.
The case against
Critics counter that the Strait of Hormuz is an international shipping corridor on which the global economy depends, and that using its closure, or attacks on tankers such as the UAE's Adnoc vessels, as leverage risks harming neutral third parties and ordinary consumers far beyond the parties to the conflict. They argue that linking a widening list of sweeping demands, including full compensation and unconditional asset release, to the reopening of a vital global artery amounts to coercive brinkmanship that punishes the wider world for a bilateral dispute. On this view, genuine diplomacy, as Omani mediation attempts to encourage, should proceed without holding international trade and shipping safety hostage to negotiating leverage.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Iran issues tough demands to reopen strait of Hormuz as deal remains out of reach”.