Iran sets seven conditions for reopening Hormuz

Iran has outlined seven conditions that must be met before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen, according to Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who serves as Iran's chief negotiator. The conditions, which are linked to the reopening of the vital waterway, are based on the interim agreement of June 2026, Ghalibaf stated.

The strait, crucial to international energy trade, will stay closed until all seven conditions are fulfilled. Iran has communicated this list of demands to the US government through Qatar, acting as a mediator. The US is being asked to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, end the ban on oil exports, release frozen Iranian assets, lift all sanctions imposed on Iran, and halt military actions against Iran and its allies in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It is believed unlikely that the US administration will fulfill all maximum demands beforehand. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi proposed a seven-day roadmap, suggesting that the US would meet all preconditions within seven days before Tehran reopens the strait and begins negotiations on a comprehensive agreement. Araghchi emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict between the US and Iran and that the war cannot be resolved through further sanctions.

He warned that if Washington resorts to military action, Tehran is prepared to take all necessary measures to defend itself with even more force. The US and Israel initiated a war against Iran on February 28, and Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies.

Efforts to end the war have continued since a June 18 framework deal, aimed at paving the way for a final peace agreement addressing navigation through the strategic waterway and Iran's nuclear program.