Iran refuses to change conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz

09:50

Iran is maintaining its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump rejecting a proposal put forward by Tehran to restore navigation through the strategically important waterway.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran's position remained unchanged, while stressing that diplomacy and negotiations had not been ruled out.

Tehran keeps its position unchanged

Araghchi said Iran's conditions for reopening the strait were clearly defined and that any decision to restore passage would depend on those conditions being met.

At the same time, the foreign minister said Tehran remained open to diplomatic contacts. He added that Iran was waiting for mediators to communicate Washington's final position before deciding how to proceed.

The comments followed Iran's announcement on Friday that it had presented the United States with a proposal under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within seven days after the agreement was accepted.

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said the proposal had been prepared in coordination with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Tehran also established a six-member negotiating team with authority to make decisions on the issue.

Trump rejects the Iranian proposal

Trump rejected the proposal publicly on Saturday, saying he did not accept the terms presented by Tehran.

The US president also referred to the Iranian leadership's position in terms of the broader military conflict, arguing that Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was under severe pressure.

Before announcing his rejection, Trump posted a map of the Strait of Hormuz on Truth Social with the label “Trump Strait.”

Despite the sharp response from Washington, Iranian officials indicated that communication through intermediaries could still influence Tehran's next move.

Araghchi said Iran had received Trump's initial public reaction but had not yet received a formal position through the mediator involved in the discussions.

A critical maritime corridor

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy routes. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global hydrocarbons passed through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption a major concern for international energy markets.

The strait has become a central element of the confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel. Iran has asserted control over the waterway, while Washington has imposed a blockade affecting Iranian ports.

The situation has also raised concerns among major energy-exporting countries that depend on secure maritime routes for international trade.

Saudi Arabia warns over energy security

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan highlighted the international importance of the waterway during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday.

He said regional stability was directly connected to global energy security and called for the protection of freedom of navigation.

Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude oil exporter, has also criticized what it described as failures by the international community to adequately address the growing risks surrounding strategic maritime routes.

A broader dispute over a previous agreement

The disagreement over Hormuz is also linked to the collapse of a protocol negotiated in June that was intended to establish a longer-term framework for ending the conflict.

According to the Iranian position presented in the source material, the measures expected from Washington in exchange for reopening the strait were already included in that agreement.

The proposed framework reportedly included an immediate cessation of hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been fighting Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned armed group.

Tehran also sought the release of Iranian assets frozen since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the lifting of US sanctions that have placed significant pressure on Iran's economy.

Yemen adds another strategic dimension

The dispute is not confined to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have also linked the broader negotiations to developments in Yemen.

Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told AFP that an end to fighting in Yemen should also form part of the arrangements.

Yemen has emerged as another important front in the regional confrontation following the renewed conflict between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.

The conflict has also affected the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another strategic maritime passage connecting major energy and commercial routes between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal.

Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation

The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz therefore extends beyond the question of reopening a single maritime route. It is tied to negotiations over military operations, sanctions, frozen Iranian assets, regional conflicts and the future of talks concerning Iran's nuclear programme.

For now, Tehran says its conditions remain unchanged, while Washington has rejected the latest proposal publicly. The next stage will depend in part on whether mediators can transmit formal positions between the two sides and whether those positions provide a basis for renewed negotiations.

With the Strait of Hormuz remaining a crucial artery for global energy supplies, developments around the waterway continue to carry implications well beyond the region.