Iran's Zolghadr Sets Conditions for Reopening Strait of Hormuz

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

8 Aug 2026 19:53

Iran's top security official outlines conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, linking navigation to an end to US aggression, sanctions, and military pressure.

Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the United States changes its conduct toward Iran.

Zolghadr outlined several conditions that Tehran considers necessary for Washington to correct its conduct, including a commitment to never threaten Iran “in any language, and never insulting the sacred values of this nation.”

“Ending the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, permanently,” Zolghadr added.

Other points include:

Lifting the naval blockade and withdrawing its military forces (naval and air) from around Iran.

Paying, without any reduction or compromise, compensation for the two aggressive wars imposed on Iran.

Lifting the unjust and illegal sanctions imposed on the Iranian people.

Releasing, unconditionally, the assets of the Iranian people that have been frozen and stolen.

"These are the demands of the Iranian people, which they have chanted for 160 days during their presence in the streets and squares," he added. "The Supreme National Security Council will never back down, neither in war nor in negotiations."

Iran, Oman make headway toward Strait of Hormuz shipping deal

Zolghadr's remarks come as Iran and Oman continue discussions over arrangements for maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks are focused on establishing a framework for navigation involving the two states bordering the strategic waterway, with Tehran maintaining that any maritime arrangement must be coordinated with Iran.

The negotiations have included discussions over the legal and technical mechanisms governing navigation, including the possibility of establishing a new maritime route.

Iranian and Omani military and naval officials have also been holding discussions based on available maps to determine the route.

The talks are ongoing amid Strait of Hormuz tensions and competing approaches to its management. Tehran has rejected the involvement of third parties in determining navigation arrangements and has insisted that any reopening must take into account Iran's security and sovereignty concerns.

The emerging Iran-Oman understanding therefore represents a parallel diplomatic track to Tehran's broader demands toward Washington.

While negotiations with Muscat address the practical and technical dimensions of maritime navigation, Iran's conditions toward the United States concern the wider political, military, and economic circumstances surrounding the Strait.

For Tehran, the question of reopening the waterway is consequently tied not only to shipping arrangements but also to the cessation of military pressure, the removal of sanctions, and the resolution of what Iran considers outstanding violations and losses.