Iran has maintained its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz despite the United States rejecting a proposed truce framework, as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to centre on the vital waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global energy supplies and has become a key flashpoint in the conflict between Iran and the United States, which began nearly seven months ago following deadly strikes on Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s proposal calls for an end to hostilities across the Middle East, including in Lebanon, as well as the fulfilment of conditions included in an earlier ceasefire agreement that collapsed months ago.
The previous agreement included provisions for the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports and an end to the US naval blockade.
“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent upon these conditions being fulfilled. We will not back down from them,” Araghchi said on Sunday, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
He added that Iran had not closed the door to diplomacy or negotiations but would continue to defend what it considers its rights.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had rejected the proposed truce arrangement. He said Iran was seeking an agreement that would allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen immediately.
Araghchi said Iran had received Washington’s initial reaction but had not yet received a formal response through mediators.
“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive positions to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” he said.
Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding (MoU) in June aimed at ending the conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and beginning negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The agreement subsequently collapsed after Iran fired on commercial vessels in the Strait, accusing them of deviating from authorised routes.
Iran requires vessels to obtain approval before passing through the waterway, citing security and sovereignty concerns. Ships that fail to comply have faced attacks, while the United States has carried out occasional strikes on Iranian coastal areas in response.
At the United Nations, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan criticised what he described as the international community’s failure to ensure the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab remain open.
He said Saudi Arabia opposed the use of vital waterways as a means of exerting pressure, issuing threats or harming the interests of states, while emphasising their importance to global energy security.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow, alongside other countries, was prepared to contribute to efforts aimed at stabilising the strategically important region.
In New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to his office. Pezeshkian said Iran remained committed to negotiations but had lost trust in the United States because of previous experiences.
Speaking at the UN, Araghchi said Iran had conveyed a specific seven-day proposal to Washington through Qatar. Under the plan, he said, the Strait could be reopened and normal maritime traffic restored within seven days if the required conditions were met.
He said the decision now rested with the United States, adding that Iran would not accept coercion, threats or intimidation or surrender its sovereign rights under pressure.
Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying that Iran would continue its actions against the United States until Tehran’s seven conditions were met.
Mohebi previously told AFP that ending hostilities in Yemen was also among Iran’s demands.
