Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until US behavior changes

The Supreme National Security Council of Iran has declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to international shipping until the United States enacts sweeping changes to its behavior, according to state media reports. The declaration outlines a series of stringent demands required for the waterway to reopen fully. According to those reports, the United States must never threaten Iran again, permanently end the war, lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw all military assets from the region, lift all sanctions, unconditionally release frozen assets, and completely compensate Iran for war damages. Additional statements from the Revolutionary Guards emphasized that the strait functions as a theatre of war rather than a commercial waterway, insisting the armed forces will maintain the closure until enemy conditions are met.

Internal structural shifts in Tehran accompany the political maneuvering. Mohsen Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander and military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken over as the new head of the security council. He replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who transitioned to a political adviser role after taking up the post following the death of Ali Larijani in an Israeli strike.

The United States has maintained a restrained public posture regarding the diplomatic gridlock. President Trump stated that Washington is managing negotiations from a distance while relying on economic pressure to squeeze the Islamic Republic.

"We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,"

President Trump, via Axios

Trump asserted during a phone interview that the American blockade on the strait is exacerbating financial strain inside the country, noting that the situation resembles a chess game that will eventually work out.

Economic and strategic friction continues to play out across the region. The United Arab Emirates reported that an Iranian missile struck an oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company while it transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that was later extinguished without any reported casualties. ADNOC stated that 15 of its vessels had been attacked in the strait since the start of the war, including three vessels during the week. In response to regional activities, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a fresh round of financial restrictions targeting Iranian banking networks, including Shahr Bank and Dubai-based exchange houses Titan Exchange and Alps International, accused of laundering oil revenue. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the department will continue to expose these networks and cut them off from the U.S. Financial system.

Simultaneously, Oman has continued separate talks with Tehran concerning the long-term management of navigation through the waterway. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that discussions with Oman were approaching the final stages, though he cautioned that progress on regional management does not equate to an immediate relaxation of maritime restrictions. Araghchi insisted that negotiations with the United States remain suspended until Washington ends its violations of a memorandum of understanding and compensates Iran. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards asserted that the Oman talks operate completely independently of the Strait of Hormuz reopening mechanism.

The geopolitical architecture surrounding the conflict is also shifting. Lawmakers in Tehran, including Ebrahim Razaei and Mahmoud Nabavian, dismissed a newly formed defense pact linking Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia as a paper agreement incapable of guaranteeing security, comparing it unfavorably to past reliance on American backing. Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that the defense arrangement could expand to include Egypt in the next phase of the deal.

In Washington, lawmakers have called for clearer communication from the executive branch regarding the long-term endgame in the region. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana argued on Sunday that President Trump needs to speak directly to the American public about the path forward, noting discussions within the Senate regarding the strategy of sustained economic pressure, naval blockades, and selective operations to bring the conflict to a close. Observers are watching to see how the combination of sustained naval interdiction, continued regional proxy actions, and stalled diplomatic channels will influence the next phase of the conflict.