The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States changes its behavior and accepts Iran’s conditions for ending the war, newly appointed security official Mohsen Rezaei announced on Tuesday. The stance comes despite international diplomatic efforts, leaving the vital global shipping artery shuttered amid escalating regional conflict.
Mohsen Rezaei Sets Terms for Reopening the Strait of Hormuz
The strategic waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the conflict remains locked down. The newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, delivered the message on Tuesday, signaling that ongoing diplomatic efforts will not instantly restore maritime trade as long as American policies remain unchanged.
Rezaei, appointed on Sunday as second-in-command of the body coordinating Iran’s security and foreign policy, laid out a set of prerequisites. According to reports from the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the conditions have been transmitted to Washington through intermediaries.
Beyond altering its approach to the conflict, Rezaei asserted that the United States must pay Iran’s frozen assets and halt hostilities throughout the region, specifically naming Lebanon and Gaza. Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, echoed the position on social media, writing that the punishment of the aggressor continues.
Diplomatic Breakthroughs Face Separate Realities in Oman and Pakistan
The Iranian announcements complicate fragile diplomatic optimism generated by regional mediators. Prior to the escalation, Pakistani and Qatari officials had indicated that the two warring sides were nearing an arrangement. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif noted that the signals in the last two, three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement during an interview with Bloomberg News.
At the same time, separate discussions between Iran and Oman regarding transit routes through the waterway have reached an advanced stage. However, Tehran’s leadership insists that any transit agreement negotiated with Muscat will remain entirely separate from the broader closure of the strait.
Washington Demands Compensation and Weighs Economic Pressure
Washington has not issued an immediate response to Rezaei’s conditions, but President Donald Trump has introduced a fresh set of financial and political demands. Speaking at the White House, Trump accused Tehran’s officials of acting as devious negotiators
and announced plans to seek financial reparations.
In a late-night phone interview with Real America’s Voice, Trump outlined his current strategy toward Tehran, weighing whether to let Tehran fail economically or hit them really, really hard
while maintaining that he remained open to a negotiated settlement.
Maritime Attacks Escalate Across the Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Oman
While political rhetoric hardens, violence at sea continues to threaten commercial shipping lanes in the Middle East. Yemen’s Transport Ministry reported that four crew members were killed in a suspected Houthi strike on the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. If confirmed, these fatalities mark the first deaths resulting from a Houthi maritime strike since the war began.
Simultaneously, a container ship sailing off the coast of Pakistan in the Gulf of Oman was struck by a missile in a suspected U.S. military operation. A U.S. official told Reuters that the vessel was targeted by a military helicopter after its crew ignored warnings from personnel enforcing a naval blockade against Iranian ports.
Energy Markets React to Prolonged Regional Uncertainty
The ongoing standoff continues to reverberate through global commodity markets. Oil futures extended their gains as traders absorbed the reality that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will persist. With thousands of casualties reported since the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, the path toward restoring normal shipping and diplomatic stability remains obstructed by positions in both Washington and Tehran.
