Blurb: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until Washington lifts sanctions, unfreezes assets, ends military operations and meets conditions of a stalled interim agreement formally signed in June.
Dubai
The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets conditions outlined in an interim agreement with Iran, Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Tuesday, according to state media.
Qalibaf said Tehran expects Washington to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, remove oil sanctions, release Iranian assets frozen overseas and end threats and military operations against Iran on all fronts. He presented the measures as prerequisites for reopening the strategic waterway.
The June 17 memorandum of understanding had aimed to provide a framework for negotiations between Iran and the United States toward a broader, permanent agreement. The talks were expected to address wider issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, the agreement rapidly deteriorated after the two sides disagreed over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial energy route. Before the conflict, the narrow waterway carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, making its status a major concern for energy markets and international shipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared the agreement over on July 7, while Iran’s foreign ministry said a week later that the memorandum had been suspended.
The original framework allowed a maximum of 60 days for negotiations on a final agreement, with an extension possible if both sides agreed. With diplomacy stalled, a senior Iranian official said Monday that Tehran would shift to a fully offensive posture unless Washington honoured the agreement within weeks, raising concerns about escalation across the region.
