A senior Iranian official said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will only be reopened if the United States changes its behavior, according to a report in ynet. The statement came minutes after Iran's Supreme National Security Council published a list of six demands for reopening the strategic waterway.
A senior Iranian official, whose name was not disclosed, stated Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will only be reopened if the United States changes its behavior, according to a report by Israeli news outlet ynet. The statement came minutes after Iran's Supreme National Security Council published a comprehensive list of six demands for reopening the strategic waterway, as reported by The Zioneer at 16:44 Jerusalem.
The Zioneer reported earlier Saturday at 16:44 that Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad-Bagher Zolqadr had stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened unless the United States changes its conduct and withdraws its forces from the region. Minutes later, the council itself published a formal statement laying out six conditions, including a US pledge to cease all threats, lift sanctions, and release frozen Iranian assets. The sequence of statements from Tehran represents a consolidation of Iran's position, moving from a general condition to a detailed set of demands.
The latest developments come amid a prolonged diplomatic standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. As The Zioneer reported in recent weeks, Iran has repeatedly conditioned the reopening of the waterway on US compliance with various demands. On June 19, the semi-official Iranian outlet Tasnim warned that continued Israeli military presence in Lebanon would negate the US-Iran understanding, and that opening the Strait without US guarantees would undermine Iran's leverage. Earlier, on June 15, President Donald Trump stated that the Strait would be fully reopened by the following Friday, but maintained a freeze on Iranian assets pending Tehran's fulfillment of agreement requirements. The closure of the Strait has been a central point of leverage for Iran in its negotiations with the US.
It remains unclear whether the unnamed senior official's statement represents a new, higher-level position or a reiteration of existing policy. The official's identity was not disclosed, and it is not known whether the statement was coordinated with the Supreme National Security Council. Additionally, the US has not publicly responded to the council's list of demands.
5 developments
- StrongIran issues new direct threat to US over Strait of Hormuz, warns of 'immediate' retaliation
- StrongIran declares Strait of Hormuz a 'red line,' warns of Gulf-wide retaliation
- DevelopingSenior US official: Iran must announce free passage in Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow or face 'difficult military plans'
- DevelopingIranian army spokesperson threatens states cooperating with US over Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Open-source intake