Iran Issues New Strait of Hormuz Demands Amid Escalating Tensions

Iran has issued a series of stringent demands related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the waterway will remain closed unless the United States addresses longstanding grievances. The demands were announced by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which described the U.S. actions as threatening and called for an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, complete lifting of sanctions, and reparations for wartime losses. The council also demanded the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from the region, according to a statement released by SNSC secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a high-ranking Revolutionary Guard commander.

Zolghadr’s remarks, published by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, came ahead of the deadline for negotiations on a final agreement governing the strait’s management. A 60-day interim deal signed in June is set to expire in just over a week, though Iran has signaled openness to extending the timeline. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed preliminary talks with Oman over navigating protocols but emphasized that the strait’s reopening hinges on unresolved conditions, including unresolved breaches of the interim agreement by the U.S.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that one of its oil tankers was struck by an Iranian missile while transiting the strait, with no casualties. This follows a separate incident where the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center confirmed a vessel near Oman’s Khasab town sustained fire damage from a projectile. State-owned ADNOC, whose two dozen ships have faced attacks since the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran in February, noted that over a dozen vessels have been targeted by missiles and drones, with one fatality and 20 injuries.

On the Iran-Yemen front, Yemen’s state-backed military launched retaliatory strikes against Houthi rebel positions, escalating the conflict that had been temporarily eased by a 2022 truce. The Houthi campaign, backed by Iran, has halted operations temporarily but retains the capability to reignite violence, according to Yemeni officials.

Separately, Turkey’s parliament approved a draft peace bill governing the disarmament of Kurdish insurgent groups in parliament on Saturday. The legislation outlines procedures for the PKK’s disbandment, contingent on the National Security Council confirming weapon surrenders, a step the government hopes will however erase from the decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

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