Iran Demands US Meet Conditions for Strait of Hormuz to Reopen

TEHRAN: Iran's newly appointed Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei has warned that Tehran will not allow the strategic Strait of Hormuz to return to full normal operations unless the United States agrees to meet all of Iran's stated conditions. In a post on X, Rezaei said Iran wants the United States to halt the ongoing war and blockade, unfreeze Iranian assets and support a broader ceasefire covering the region, including Lebanon and Gaza. He made clear that Tehran does not intend to lift its restrictions on the key Persian Gulf shipping corridor until all of its demands have been addressed. "IRAN's message is clear: the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the U.S. ends the war and blockade, releases Iran's frozen assets, and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon and Gaza," he wrote in the post. Rezaei added, "Until all conditions are met, the Strait will remain closed." Earlier, Rezaei affirmed that the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has imposed transit restrictions since early March due to US-Israeli aggression, will only happen when Washington accepts Tehran's conditions, according to Press TV , Rezaei detailed Iran's stance during a Tuesday meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zong Piyu in Tehran, stating that the US must end the war on Iran and its regional allies and release Iran's blocked funds. "As long as the US does not change its behaviour and accept Iran's conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened," Rezaei said in the meeting. He noted that Iran has also communicated additional conditions to the US through intermediaries involved in indirect negotiations over recent weeks.