TEHRAN, September 20, 2026: Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until the United States meets Tehran's conditions and fulfils commitments made under an earlier agreement, escalating the standoff over one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Sunday that Tehran had conveyed its conditions to Washington through intermediaries. He said there would be no return to the previous negotiating framework or reopening of the strait until Iran's stated rights were recognised and US commitments were implemented.
The latest statement comes as Iran and the United States remain engaged in an increasingly tense diplomatic and military confrontation. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, separately said Tehran had conveyed seven conditions to Washington through Qatar as a basis for restarting negotiations.
Seven conditions communicated to Washington
Iran has not officially published the complete list, but Iranian officials have publicly identified several of the demands. They include:
- An end to military operations and hostilities.
- Release of frozen Iranian assets.
- Lifting of the US naval blockade.
- Removal of economic and political sanctions.
- Withdrawal of US naval and air forces from the region.
- Compensation for war-related damage.
- An end to threats and what Tehran describes as insults against Iran.
The details of the full seven-point list remain subject to differing reports, while Iranian officials have confirmed that the conditions have been conveyed through intermediaries.
Qatar and Pakistan involved in diplomacy
Qatar has been acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying it is awaiting US President Donald Trump's response to its conditions.
Pakistan has also been involved in diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring negotiations between the two sides. Iranian officials have indicated that diplomatic channels remain open even as Tehran says it is preparing for the possibility of further military confrontation.
Hormuz remains key to global energy trade
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major transit route for global energy supplies. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the waterway.
Iran and Oman have separately worked on a framework for designated shipping routes through the strait. Tehran has stressed, however, that such an arrangement would not by itself amount to a full reopening of the waterway.
The latest Iranian position therefore leaves the future of commercial shipping through Hormuz closely tied to the broader US-Iran diplomatic negotiations.
