Iran: Strait of Hormuz closed until US commitments are implemented

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea route at the heart of the conflict between Iran and the United States, will remain closed until Washington fulfills its commitments under the memorandum of understanding signed in June, Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on Tuesday.

The Strait of Hormuz “will not be open until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding (...) are not implemented,” declared Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also head of Parliament, in a speech broadcast on state television. He cited among these conditions “the lifting of the (American) naval blockade, the unblocking of frozen (Iranian) assets, the lifting of the oil embargo” against Tehran, as well as “the end of military operations on all fronts”.

After the American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, Tehran responded with strikes on neighboring countries allied with Washington and blocked the strait, a major transit route for hydrocarbons, causing oil prices to soar.

The United States, for its part, imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

A ceasefire was agreed in April followed by a memorandum of understanding in June for peace negotiations, which then fell apart after briefly allowing the strait to reopen. If the hostilities have recently decreased in intensity, the diplomatic efforts led by the mediators are marking time. The American envoy and son-in-law of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, however described Monday as “very positive and lively” the negotiations with the aim of concluding an agreement between Iran and the United States.

While he admitted on Fox News that there was not “a lot of trust” between the two parties, he clarified that they were “very seriously involved.” “President Trump is going to be very patient, he doesn’t like to rush to make a deal. He will make the right deal when it is ready,” he added.