Iran Sets New Conditions for Reopening Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has laid out new conditions for the US to meet before the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened, amid continuing attacks on shipping.

In a statement carried by Iranian media on Saturday, the council’s secretary, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, said that the waterway, which handles around a quarter of global seaborne oil and LNG trade, would not be reopened until “the United States changes its behavior.”

He said the US must lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its forces “from the area surrounding Iran,” as well as lift “unjust and illegal” sanctions, release the country’s frozen assets, and pay compensation. He added that the US must end “war and aggression” against Iran and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen.

“The US must never threaten Iran, in any language, or insult the sacred values of the Iranian nation,” Zolqadr said.

Earlier on Saturday, the UAE said an Iranian missile had struck a tanker operated by its state oil company, ADNOC, accusing Tehran of piracy. Iran insists that all vessels transiting the strait must follow its instructions and avoid what it calls the “illegal” route designated by the US Navy.

Although Iran said on Friday that it was close to reaching an agreement with Oman on the joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, peace talks with the US have effectively stalled.

US President Donald Trump said he called off new strikes last week to allow room for negotiations. Multiple US media outlets, however, have reported that the Pentagon has significantly depleted its missile arsenal and that Admiral Brad Cooper, the top US commander in the Middle East, told Trump that the target pool around Hormuz had largely been exhausted. The president and his war secretary, Pete Hegseth, have denied ammunition shortages.

Iran’s demands came amid fears of wider chaos sweeping the region. This week, Israel renewed its heavy bombardment of Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire reached two months ago with the Lebanese government. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis, a pro-Iranian Shia group, launched a large-scale offensive against Saudi-backed government forces and targeted Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

The war with Iran remains unpopular among the US public, with a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showing that 50% of Americans believe US strikes would further destabilize the Middle East, while just 17% said the situation would “get better.”