Iran issues demands for reopening of Strait of Hormuz

Iran has set specific conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for war damages and a toll for passage, which complicates a potential agreement to open the waterway vital to global commerce. Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, Tehran has effectively blocked the strait and is demanding charges for ships attempting to navigate through it.

This aggression, coupled with attacks on vessels accused of circumventing Iran's preferred route, led to the breakdown of a ceasefire in April. Mediators have urged both sides to adhere to the terms of a June memorandum, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the reopening of Hormuz depends on additional conditions and compensation for the June agreement's violation.

Security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr listed demands such as an end to aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, the lifting of a parallel US naval blockade, the cessation of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and compensation for wartime damage. Iran's Revolutionary Guards emphasized that the strait's reopening is unrelated to the Iran-Oman negotiations, insisting that the enemy must accept Iran's conditions.

Meanwhile, the UAE condemned an Iranian missile attack on an ADNOC tanker in the strait, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a ship being hit off Oman, causing a fire. ADNOC reported that 15 of its vessels had been attacked in Hormuz since the war began, with three attacks in the past week. Oman's foreign ministry condemned the attacks on transiting vessels but noted that discussions on navigation arrangements are proceeding positively.

The previous Iran-US deal aimed to facilitate discussions on a permanent settlement, but international law generally prohibits tolling in such waterways. Turkey's foreign minister expressed hope for Egypt's involvement in a joint defense agreement with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, emphasizing that an attack on any member would be considered an attack on all.