Rabat – Iran has made the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz conditional on the United States meeting seven provisions outlined in a June interim agreement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Sunday.
Qalibaf, Tehran’s chief negotiator, said Iran put forward a proposal at the United Nations General Assembly that could restore normal maritime traffic through the strategic waterway within seven days, provided Washington meets the conditions.
Iranian officials said the proposal received a US response last week through Qatari mediators.
Qalibaf said Tehran had adopted a firm position on the issue and would not reopen the strait until the conditions under the June agreement, referred to by Iranian officials as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are fulfilled.
He also warned Washington against prolonging diplomatic efforts while placing unilateral demands on Tehran.
“The period of dragging out the diplomatic process and dictating one-sided demands is over,” Qalibaf said, according to Iranian state media.
Tehran rules out nuclear talks
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had delivered its initial response to Washington through mediators, although further points still need to reach the US side.
Baghaei said the American proposal largely repeats previous US positions, particularly on Iran’s nuclear program.
“For us, the priority at this stage is the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that the return of security to the waterway requires concrete steps from Washington.
The spokesperson also rejected reports that Iran had offered inspections of its nuclear facilities by the UN nuclear watchdog in exchange for sanctions relief.
Baghaei said Tehran has not entered into negotiations with Washington on the nuclear issue.
An official familiar with the talks said last week that the proposal includes a seven-day confidence-building period. The plan seeks to revive an expanded version of the June understanding, with measures related to Iran’s nuclear activities among the issues under discussion.
The main dispute appears to concern the order in which the parties would implement the proposed measures rather than the measures themselves.
Iran warns of response to new US attacks
Qatar has acted as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington as diplomatic efforts seek to end the war and restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway holds major importance for global energy markets. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strait.
The June agreement helped secure a short-lived ceasefire and included provisions on both the waterway and Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Sunday that Tehran still preferred a diplomatic solution but would respond if Washington resorts to military action again.
“If they again move towards military solutions, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves,” Araqchi told foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran.
The warning followed reports that Iran had prepared a stronger response in case the US resumes large-scale attacks.
Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia also said Sunday that the country plans to increase the range of its missiles, according to Fars news agency.
The statements from Iranian officials come as the future of the Strait of Hormuz remains closely tied to the broader diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington.
