Iran Says Hormuz Stays Closed Until US Lifts Blockade

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iran declared on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ends the war, lifts its naval blockade, and resolves the situation in Yemen, significantly expanding its conditions for reopening the world's most critical oil corridor as Iran and Oman simultaneously discussed a phased framework for a temporary navigational corridor and a joint mine-clearing project.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi delivered the most comprehensive Iranian statement yet on Hormuz conditions on Wednesday, telling state news agency IRNA: "We closed the Strait of Hormuz before the United States imposed an economic blockade because the United States failed to fulfil its commitments under the memorandum of understanding." He warned that no military vessels from any country would be allowed through the strait, while Iranian authorities would monitor commercial vessels seeking to cross it. "Before any action is taken to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States must fully implement all of the commitments it has violated," he said.

The addition of Yemen to Iran's list of Hormuz conditions is a significant expansion of Tehran's demands. The June 17, 2026, memorandum of understanding had addressed Lebanon explicitly, with Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirming the MOU covered "the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, are ended immediately and permanently." Wednesday's statement adds Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis upended a 2022 truce with the country's Saudi-backed government in July 2026, becoming the latest front in the broader regional conflict, to the list of issues that must be resolved before the strait is reopened.

A Phased Framework With Oman, But No Full Opening

Even as Gharibabadi set out Tehran's conditions for a full reopening, Iran and Oman were simultaneously advancing a separate bilateral track. During talks in Tehran, the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman discussed a "phased framework" that included setting up a "joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint project to clear the Strait of mines," according to a joint statement. Technical negotiations will continue to determine a "permanent navigational corridor and future administration of the Strait, as well as a mechanism for information-sharing, traffic management, and the provision of relevant navigational and security services."

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Tuesday that he hoped Iran and Oman would "soon announce" the temporary corridor. "Future management of the strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course," he wrote on X following talks in Tehran.

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi described the phased framework as proof of Tehran's commitment to diplomacy. "The proposed framework is a case in point showing how our country's commitment to peace and stability is matched by steadfast diplomacy with our neighbours," he said on Tuesday.

Iran Rejects Trump's Demining Claims

President Trump had previously posted on Truth Social that "all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz," citing the US Navy. Gharibabadi dismissed the claim flatly on Wednesday, calling it "propaganda deception," and warned that Iran would target US minesweepers that entered the area.

Operation Economic Outcast and Iran's Response

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the latest round of sanctions under Operation Economic Outcast on Wednesday, threatening what he described as "economic asphyxiation" of Iran, with expanded secondary sanctions targeting Iran's digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping sectors. The measures hit entities in the UAE, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Europe. Bessent warned countries that did not support the US economic campaign would "share in the isolation" of Iran.

Gharibabadi said Iran's response to US sanctions would be to "target their economic interests," mirroring the broader retaliatory posture Iran's security establishment has maintained throughout the conflict.

Inside Iran, the economic pressure is becoming visibly acute. Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Wednesday after authorities said fuel quotas would be reviewed, a signal of deepening domestic supply constraints at a moment when the government is simultaneously managing sky-high inflation, a collapsed banking sector, and the political fallout from an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January 2026.

Oil prices continued to decline on Wednesday as concerns over another immediate military flare-up in the Middle East receded, reflecting markets' reading of the current phase as one of economic rather than military escalation, a judgment consistent with the Axios confirmation earlier on Tuesday that the US has no plans for new military strikes against Iran.