Iran won't open Strait of Hormuz until US meets its 7 conditions, plans to expand range of missiles

Tehran says Washington must take clear steps to restore security in the key waterway, while Iran warns of a stronger response to any renewed US military action.

Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the United States meets seven conditions outlined in a June interim agreement, as Tehran and Washington remain at odds over efforts to end their conflict.

Baghaei said Iran was currently focused on the Strait of Hormuz and that restoring security in the waterway would require clear steps from the US. (Reuters) (Representative Image)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is also the country's top negotiator, was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying Tehran's position on reopening the strategic waterway was “completely clear and firm”. He said the seven conditions were based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, as reported by Reuters.

Iran had presented a proposal during the UN General Assembly under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days if the conditions were met. Washington responded to the proposal last week through Qatari intermediaries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had conveyed its broad position on the US response through mediators, but that some points still needed to be communicated to Washington. He said the US proposals were broadly in line with its earlier positions, particularly on the nuclear issue.

Baghaei said Iran was currently focused on the Strait of Hormuz and that restoring security in the waterway would require clear steps from the US. He also denied that Tehran had offered inspections of its nuclear facilities by the UN nuclear watchdog in exchange for sanctions relief, saying Iran had not entered into nuclear discussions with Washington.

The June memorandum had led to a brief ceasefire and included provisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme. The latest disagreement is understood to centre on the sequencing of steps rather than the components of a possible agreement.

Iran warns of stronger response

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran hoped Washington would choose diplomacy but warned that Iran was prepared to respond if the US resumed military action.

“If they again move towards military solutions, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves,” Araghchi told foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran, according to Reuters.

Araghchi also said there was no military solution to the conflict and that negotiations based on justice and fairness were needed to end it, AFP reported.

Separately, Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the country would increase the range of its missiles following the war with the US. He told Fars news agency that Iran had concluded during the conflict that it needed to extend its missile range and had begun moving in that direction.

The comments come as Qatar continues to relay messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is a major global energy route through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war.

Tanker hit in Strait of Hormuz

The diplomatic efforts have continued as tensions around the waterway remain high.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Sunday that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz reported being struck by an unknown projectile, causing damage to its engine room. The crew were safe and there was no reported environmental impact.

The agency did not specify when the incident occurred or identify the vessel's origin, destination or whether it was carrying oil or liquefied natural gas, AFP reported.

The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, triggering the conflict that has since disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has sought to control passage through the waterway, while the US has imposed a counterblockade of Iranian ports.

The United States has not struck Iran since September 1 but has recently increased its military presence in the region. Axios has also reported that Washington deployed additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading towards the Middle East.

(with inputs from agencies)