Iran linked the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to the 'withdrawal of US troops', and the US is looking for a way to save face.

The Iran-Iraq War's opening of the Hormuz Strait has become shrouded in ambiguity, as Iran has demanded stringent conditions for its opening. According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Chief, General Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated Iran will not open the Strait unless the United States changes its behavior.

The conditions include not threatening Iran with any language, not meddling in the sacred values of the Iranian nation, halting military actions and invasions towards Iran's alliances in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, and an end to all war and invasion threats. Other demands include the withdrawal of American troops, cessation of the war's damages, and the lifting of sanctions and frozen assets.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also met with journalists and said that negotiations on the strait's integration are ongoing and very close to an agreement. However, Iran has threatened to block American naval ships in the Strait as part of its broader demands. While it is unlikely that Iran's extreme demands will be accepted, this move by Iran may be an attempt to test Trump's intentions regarding the war.

US officials are reportedly working to find a way out of the war, but the options are limited due to a lack of advanced missiles and the potential for civilian casualties in a ground war. Iran, on the other hand, showed no signs of backing down from its confrontational stance in the Strait, attacking an Aramco tanker and warning of a possible escalation.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has called for restraint in negotiations, urging both sides to avoid any actions that could influence the ongoing talks.