Iran Demands Reparations, Refuses to Reopen Hormuz Strait

Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills Tehran's conditions, which include compensation for war damages. Iran has effectively blockaded the crucial global shipping lane since late February, imposing tolls and targeting vessels that deviate from its designated routes.

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We will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets the conditions set by Tehran, including demands for compensation for war damages.

The ongoing disruptions in the strait, previously open to navigation, led to the collapse of a ceasefire in April. Mediators are urging both sides to return to agreed terms for peace talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that discussions with Oman regarding navigation and management of the strait are nearing completion. However, he stressed that reopening Hormuz is contingent on other conditions and compensation for breaches of a June agreement.

Araghchi denied direct negotiations with the U.S., stating that communication occurs solely through intermediaries. Earlier, Iran's chief security official, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, outlined a list of demands for the strait's reopening. These include ending the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, lifting U.S. retaliatory sanctions on Iranian ports, terminating economic sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and providing war reparations.

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The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is subject to other conditions and compensation for violations of the June agreement.

The Revolutionary Guard affirmed that their strategy is to maintain the closure of the strait until their demands are fully met by the opposing side.

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Our strategy is to maintain the closure of the strait until the enemy accepts all its conditions.