IRAN LINKS HORMUZ REOPENING TO END OF WAR AND RELEASE OF FROZEN FUNDS

Iran has conveyed conditions to the United States for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the waterway will remain closed until its demands are addressed. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has been involved in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, said the conditions had been communicated to Washington through mediators.

Ghalibaf said Iran would not return to the situation that existed before negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the conditions were met and the United States honoured its commitments. The comments came as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a prolonged confrontation following US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February.

Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei had earlier disclosed some of Tehran’s demands, saying they included an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the US naval blockade. He said the conditions had been communicated through Qatar, which has been involved in diplomatic efforts between the two sides.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of tension because it is one of the world’s most important routes for the transportation of oil and gas. Restrictions on shipping through the waterway have raised concerns about energy supplies and international trade, while the United States has continued efforts to restrict maritime traffic connected to Iranian ports.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is expected to travel to Tehran as part of diplomatic efforts to discuss the regional crisis. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military command has also warned that any new US military action against Iran would trigger attacks against American bases and interests in the region, adding to concerns over further escalation.