Hormuz Hostage? Iran Lays Down 6 Conditions For Reopening Key Oil Route

Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States changes its conduct and meets a series of demands laid down by Tehran, signalling that any full reopening of the crucial waterway remains tied to broader negotiations with Washington.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Saturday that the US must "correct its behaviour" before the strategic shipping route can reopen, according to Iran's Mehr News.

Iran's Six Conditions

Zolghadr outlined six conditions for reopening the strait. They include an end to threats against Iran's Supreme Leader, a permanent cessation of military action against Iran and its regional allies, and the withdrawal of US naval and air forces involved in operations around the waterway.

Tehran is also demanding compensation for damage caused during recent conflicts, the lifting of US sanctions and the release of Iranian assets frozen overseas.

Iran's regional allies include Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen and Iran-aligned Shia armed groups in Iraq. Tehran collectively refers to these groups as its "Axis of Resistance".

Zolghadr said the demands reflected the position of the Iranian people following six days of nationwide rallies.

He added that the Supreme National Security Council would not abandon them, either during the conflict or in negotiations.

Iran's Army separately said the new arrangements governing maritime traffic through Hormuz were irreversible.

Iran Warns Of Higher Costs

Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, spokesperson for the Iranian Army, said Washington would eventually have to accept the new reality in the strait.

Speaking at a gathering in Tehran, Akraminia said Iranian forces would continue to enforce the new arrangements and warned that any aggressor could face substantially higher costs than in previous confrontations.

He said Iran's armed forces had both the motivation and capability to maintain the current situation in Hormuz.

Oman Talks Focus On Temporary Routes

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, sought to distinguish ongoing talks with Oman from a complete reopening of the waterway.

Araghchi said negotiations were focused on establishing temporary transit corridors for shipping rather than restoring unrestricted traffic through the strait.

The provisional routes are nearing completion and are being developed using maps supplied by Iran's armed forces, he said.

Tehran expects the process to produce results soon, but stressed that the temporary arrangements should not be interpreted as a general reopening.

A full reopening would depend on Washington addressing what Tehran considers violations of previous agreements, including the issue of compensation.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also rejected the suggestion that the Oman talks alone could lead to the reopening of Hormuz.

Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, that the strait would reopen only once the US accepted Iran's conditions.

Hormuz Tensions Escalate

The standoff comes after Iran targeted US military bases in Gulf states and Jordan and disrupted commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of an interim agreement.

The UAE said Saturday that Iran had launched a missile attack on a carrier affiliated with the UAE's state-owned oil company while it was transiting the strait.

The developments underline the growing risks surrounding Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, with Tehran now explicitly linking the restoration of normal shipping to a broader political and military settlement with Washington.