Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to shipping unless the United States changes its approach and agrees to Tehran’s conditions for ending the war, signaling that any emerging agreement over the vital waterway may not lead to an immediate reopening.
Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed deputy head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a close ally of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Tuesday that the strait would remain closed as long as Washington refused to meet Tehran’s demands.
Rezaei said Iran’s conditions include an end to the war, the release of Iranian frozen assets and a halt to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon and Gaza. He added that Iran had conveyed its demands to Washington through mediators.
He also stressed that any agreement reached between Iran and Oman concerning a transit route through the Strait of Hormuz would be separate from the broader decision to reopen the waterway.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Khamenei, echoed the position in a post on X, saying Iran’s response to what it considers aggression would continue and that the strait would not reopen until its demands were fulfilled.
Trump raises compensation demand
The latest Iranian statements came as US President Donald Trump introduced another demand in the negotiations, calling on Iran to pay compensation for people killed or injured in conflicts, attacks and protests over several decades.
Trump said Monday that Washington would seek compensation for what he described as damage caused by Iran over a 50-year period. He also accused Tehran of being difficult in negotiations and said the United States was considering different options, ranging from allowing Iran’s economy to deteriorate to taking much stronger military action.
The US president has repeatedly alternated between warnings of further escalation and statements suggesting that a potential agreement with Tehran could still be reached.
Pakistan signals possible diplomatic breakthrough
The latest escalation in rhetoric contrasts with recent optimism from Pakistan, one of the countries involved in efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that signals over the previous few days indicated that the two sides could be approaching an arrangement that might help resolve the dispute surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is considered one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors. Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the strait.
Growing threats to maritime traffic
Tensions have also intensified following reports of attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea, raising further concerns about the impact of the conflict on global maritime trade.
Four crew members were reportedly killed in a suspected Houthi attack on the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah while it was sailing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, according to Yemen’s Transport Ministry. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the incident.
In a separate development, the US military said an American MH-60 helicopter fired missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo ship after its civilian crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings from US forces.
US Central Command said the vessel, M/V Vela Nova, was disabled after attempting to continue toward Iran in violation of the American maritime blockade.
Washington first announced the blockade of vessels heading toward Iranian ports in April and reinstated it in July after a ceasefire and peace arrangement reached in June broke down.
The latest developments underscore the growing uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, with the dispute increasingly linking maritime security, Iran’s demands and broader negotiations aimed at ending the regional conflict.
