Key facts
- Iran asserts full control over the Strait of Hormuz, challenging U.S. claims.
- Tehran states the waterway will only reopen if the U.S. meets conditions, including unfreezing Iranian funds and assets.
- The end of fighting in Lebanon is also cited as a condition for reopening the strait.
- Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly decreased since late February.
- Oil and gas prices have risen sharply amid the disruption.
Iran asserts it has full control and management over the Strait of Hormuz, directly challenging claims made by the United States. Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's parliament's National Security Commission, stated that Iran alone will determine whether vessels can pass through the strategic waterway. He also noted that adversaries had withdrawn significantly from the region and resorted to "malicious actions" after failing to control the strait.
A senior Iranian official, speaking anonymously, told MS NOW that Tehran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz include the U.S. unfreezing Iranian funds and assets, and an end to the fighting in Lebanon. This official blamed the U.S. for the closure, citing a failure to fully implement a June memorandum of understanding. The Strait, a critical global oil choke point, has seen commercial shipping nearly cease since late February, contributing to a sharp rise in oil and gas prices, with Brent crude reaching $86 a barrel and WTI above $80.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added that lifting the U.S. naval blockade of key Iranian ports is another condition. While Iran and Oman had agreed to a framework for temporary reopening, negotiations stalled over details. A U.S. official countered that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, not subject to unilateral control. President Donald Trump indicated that U.S. talks with Iran are "low-keying."
Further reinforcing Iran's stance, Hojjatoleslam Hossein Taeb, commander of the paramilitary Basij Organisation, stated the Strait is "under Iran’s control and management." Iran's joint military command asserted that no vessel can transit without Tehran's permission, dismissing U.S. claims as "lies and falsehoods." Senior military official Rasoul Sanaei-Rad reiterated that the strait's reopening depends on the U.S. fulfilling commitments under an interim deal. Michael Stephens suggested Iran's strategy is to prolong the conflict to increase pressure on the U.S. administration.