Iran sets six conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz, rejects US negotiations

Iran's six conditions for reopening Hormuz

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr presented a list of six demands on Saturday, 8 August, that the United States must meet before Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. The conditions include the suspension of the naval blockade against Iranian ports, the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and full compensation for war damages from what Zolghadr called "two imposed wars." He also demanded an end to US threats against Iran, cessation of military operations against Iran and its regional allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq, and the withdrawal of US military forces positioned around the Islamic Republic.

Until the United States corrects its behavior, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened.

These are the demands of the Iranian people. Iran will never yield, neither militarily nor in negotiations.

No active negotiations with Washington

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told journalists on Sunday, 9 August, that Tehran is not engaged in negotiations with the United States and will not resume them while Washington continues to violate the June memorandum of understanding. He said the two governments were only "exchanging messages" through intermediaries, and that mediators "continue to try to find ways to start negotiations again." Araghchi, cited by the Tasnim news agency associated with the Revolutionary Guard, insisted that without an end to US violations and compensation for what was violated, there is no possibility of resuming talks.

Oman talks in final stages

Araghchi said negotiations with Oman on establishing a new maritime route and the legal framework for managing the strait were in their "final phases." He explained that specialists are working on defining the new sea routes, and that the agreement with Oman will establish the routes to be used once the necessary conditions for reopening the strait are met. However, he cautioned that an agreement between Tehran and Muscat would not by itself mean the strait reopens. Oman's foreign ministry described the talks on Saturday as taking place in a "positive and constructive" atmosphere, while warning that attacks on ships transiting the route could affect the negotiations.

Revolutionary Guard calls strait "theatre of war"

Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Hossein Mohebi said on Sunday that the strait will remain closed until the enemy accepts all of Iran's conditions. He described the Strait of Hormuz as a "theatre of war" rather than merely a navigation route. The effective blockade was imposed by Iran after US and Israeli attacks in late February. The strait carried 20% of world energy transport before the conflict. Iran has been attacking ships it accuses of trying to circumvent its preferred route and intends to charge tolls for passage through Hormuz. Continuous attacks on the maritime route led to the collapse of the April ceasefire, after which a subsequent agreement signed in June outlined a path to peace negotiations.

Houthis strike Saudi refinery

On the same day, Yemen's Houthis claimed a drone attack on an Aramco refinery in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities confirmed a fire at the facility, which was subsequently controlled. The attack aligns with the broader pattern of regional hostilities cited in Iran's conditions, which demand an end to military operations against Tehran's allies across Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq.