Iran Sets Conditions for Hormuz Reopening, Trump Rejects June Deal
Iran's top security official tied the Strait of Hormuz reopening to ending wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The WSJ reports Trump rejected the June deal framework, preferring economic pressure.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei told Al Manar TV that any understanding with the U.S. on the Strait of Hormuz must include an end to wars in Lebanon and Gaza. He also demanded that Israel withdraw from Lebanon and halt attacks on Syria. The strait cannot be separated from the broader regional conflict, he said. The U.S. must "prove its seriousness" in implementing these commitments before any new trust could be established.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration has no interest in returning to the terms of the memorandum of understanding it reached with Iran in June. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said President Donald Trump was no longer interested in the June deal framework. He is waiting to see if his administration's strategy of pressuring Iran economically will work. The U.S. on Monday announced an "economic D-Day" campaign against Tehran, threatening countries that do business with the Islamic Republic.
Rezaei said Iran is now allowing a temporary and limited corridor for ships to pass through the Hormuz Strait. The future of maritime traffic will depend on developments in understandings with Washington, he added.
Oman and Iran earlier this week discussed a proposal to establish a temporary joint shipping route through the strait and a mission to clear mines from the key oil export corridor. A video posted on X late Thursday by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, credited U.S. forces for clearing the mines. CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 1,500 commercial vessels and 750 million barrels of crude oil over the past several months, Cooper said. "Today, international shipping lanes are open, and momentum is building."
The latest available Kpler data showed that only five ships crossed Hormuz on Tuesday, a far cry from the approximately 130 ships that used to transit the waterway before the war broke out in February.
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