Iran Guards say won't reopen Hormuz without US meeting Tehran's demands

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have declared they will not resume traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the United States adheres to a list of demands, which include compensating Iran for war damage. The strait has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in late February. Iran now seeks to charge tolls for passage, targeting ships it claims aim to circumvent its preferred route.

This blockade contributed to the collapse of an April ceasefire and has reignited calls for peace talks. Iran's security chief outlined a list of conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to aggression against Iran and its allies, lifting of the U.S. counterblockade of Iranian ports, removal of sanctions, release of frozen assets, and compensation for wartime damage.

However, Iran's Revolutionary Guards maintain the closure "until our enemy accepts all our conditions" and consider the strait as a "theatre of war for us," not just a waterway. Despite these tensions, discussions between Iran and Oman over future strait arrangements are reportedly nearing completion, with both nations warning against actions that could jeopardize progress.

Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched their own maritime blockade of Saudi ports in the Red Sea, targeting Saudi oil facilities, following the Gulf kingdom's attack on a Saudi oil facility in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has recently signed a joint defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan, implementing a NATO-style clause that considers an attack on one member as an attack on all.