Iran Demands U.S. Concessions Including Compensation Before Reopening Strait of Hormuz

Iran has formally tied the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to a series of sweeping concessions from the United States, insisting on compensation for war damages and a permanent end to military threats before the vital waterway will be restored to commercial traffic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Sunday that while Tehran is nearing a final agreement with Oman to define new shipping lanes, this technical arrangement does not signal an immediate reopening.

“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on other conditions, including the United States compensating for its violations of the Islamabad Memorandum,” Araghchi stated.

The specific demands were laid out over the weekend by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The list includes the permanent end of US aggression against Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the US naval blockade and all sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and direct compensation for wartime damage.

Foreign Minister Araghchi reiterated that no direct negotiations are currently taking place with Washington and that formal talks are impossible as long as the US continues to breach the interim deal signed in June.

“Negotiation has its own definition. At the moment, we have no negotiations with the United States. There is an exchange of messages through intermediaries,” Araghchi clarified.

A senior US official indicated that the Biden administration is working on a sequenced approach, stating that the naval blockade will be lifted once a deal to restore commercial shipping is announced and Iran implements its commitments.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump described the US posture as “low-keying it,” adding, “We are only semi-negotiating with them. It will work out. It always works out”.