Tehran sets conditions for any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

A senior Iranian official on Saturday set far-reaching conditions for the United States before any easing of the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, dampening hopes that the strategically important waterway at the center of the war in the Middle East could reopen.

The statements by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, contrast with progress announced in recent days in negotiations between Iran and Oman over the future management of the Strait.

“The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the United States changes its behavior,” he warned, according to remarks carried by Iranian media, before outlining a series of conditions.

Iran is primarily demanding that Washington “definitively end the war and aggression” against the Islamic Republic and its allies and lift the blockade imposed on its ports.

Tehran is also seeking the removal of US sanctions, the release of its frozen assets, and “full compensation” for the damage caused by the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic.

Some of these conditions were included in the US-Iranian framework agreement reached in June, which established a…