Iran has listed fresh conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that compensation for war damages must be paid before normal shipping can resume.
The vital waterway has remained under an effective blockade since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman on managing the strait were progressing but stressed that reopening it “is subject to other conditions and compensation for the violation” of the June agreement.
Security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr also demanded an end to the “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq” before the passage could be restored.
He further called for the lifting of US sanctions, an end to the American naval blockade, the release of frozen Iranian assets and compensation for wartime losses.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards insisted that Hormuz’s reopening had “nothing to do with the negotiations between Iran and Oman” and said the “enemy is forced to accept Iran’s conditions for the opening of the strait”.
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of launching a missile at an ADNOC tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, although no casualties were reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also reported that a ship caught fire after being struck by a projectile near Oman, but confirmed there were no injuries.
Oman condemned the repeated attacks on commercial vessels and said negotiations on future navigation arrangements were continuing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” while urging restraint from all parties.
Meanwhile, Turkey said it expects Egypt to join a new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as regional tensions continue to rise.
