Iran presses new Strait of Hormuz demands as UAE reports ship targeted

Iran has issued stringent new demands regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates reported that one of its ships was targeted by an Iranian missile. Yemen's military has been active against the country's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, and Turkey's Kurdish peace bill received parliamentary approval.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council, essentially a politburo, has stated that the Strait of Hormuz will only reopen once the United States "corrects its behavior." This includes an end to U.S. threats against Iran, the cessation of the war with Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and a permanent withdrawal of U.S. military forces from the area.

Iran demands "full compensation" for war damage, the lifting of sanctions, and the unblocking of frozen assets. The U.S., which has insisted on negotiating a satisfactory deal before removing the blockade, has not yet commented on these demands. Iran's state broadcaster cited Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a commander in the Revolutionary Guard and secretary of the council, who emphasized that the U.S. must cease threatening Iran and lifting the naval blockade.

Iran and the U.S. have been negotiating a deal to manage the Strait, with Iran close to securing a separate deal with Oman to oversee navigation. However, the reopening of the waterway depends on additional conditions, according to Iran, and Iran blames the U.S. for violating the interim deal. Oman, a mediator in the region and a Gulf Arab nation, stated that discussions were ongoing positively and condemned any attacks on ships in the Strait.