Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued stringent preconditions on Saturday, declaring the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States lifts its naval blockade, ends regional hostilities, and provides complete compensation for war damages, complicating delicate regional diplomacy.
The strategic waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the global economy has faced severe disruption since United States and Israel struck Iran in late February. Tehran established an effective blockade of the strait, targeting commercial shipping and demanding toll payments from vessels attempting to navigate the chokepoint. Continued maritime attacks ultimately collapsed an April ceasefire, forcing international mediators to push both governments back toward the terms of a June memorandum.
Security Council Demands Total Shift in United States Policy
The sweeping list of prerequisites was formally published through Iranian state media by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the state broadcaster’s statement, Washington must permanently cease all military threats against Iran, conclude hostilities directed at Iran and its regional allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, and completely withdraw its military presence from the area.
Beyond military concessions, the council insisted that the United States must completely compensate Iran for war damage, lift all economic sanctions, and unconditionally release frozen Iranian financial assets. The ultimatum demands the immediate removal of naval restrictions that have restricted maritime trade at Iranian ports.
Divergent Signals Surround Omani Mediation Efforts
While the security council insists on sweeping geopolitical changes, diplomatic tracks led by regional mediators have painted a more optimistic picture. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that discussions with Oman regarding transit arrangements and a specific shipping route through the strait were approaching the final stages. However, Araghchi cautioned that the actual reopening of the waterway remains subject to broader conditions, including compensation for violations of the June agreement.
Complicating the diplomatic messaging further, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards asserted that the reopening of the strait has nothing to do with the negotiations between Iran and Oman. Meanwhile, Omani authorities reported that bilateral talks are proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere, urging all parties to avoid actions that might jeopardize ongoing progress.
Commercial Shipping Targeted Amid Ongoing Blockade
The diplomatic standoff unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing maritime violence. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned a hostile Iranian missile attack that targeted a commercial oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company while it transited the strait.
Later in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a separate vessel east of Khasab, Oman, was struck by a projectile, triggering a fire that was successfully extinguished without crew casualties. It remained unconfirmed whether the UKMTO incident involved the same tanker referenced by Emirati authorities.
The 60-Day Deadline and Washington Response
The 60-day window established under the interim June framework to negotiate a permanent settlement is set to expire in just over a week, though provisions exist for an extension. The United States government offered no immediate comment on the security council’s new demands. Washington has previously maintained that an acceptable agreement regarding safe navigation through the strait must be secured before the naval blockade of Iranian ports can be lifted, leaving the critical maritime corridor caught between rigid preconditions and mounting economic pressure.
