Tehran, Aug 2026 : Iran on Monday reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened as long as what it described as a US naval blockade against the country continues, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei saying that any decision on reopening the strategic waterway would depend on changes in the conditions imposed on Iran.
Addressing his weekly press briefing in Tehran, Baqaei said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz followed what Iran described as military aggression by the United States and Israel. He said the reopening of the vital maritime passage would depend on the circumstances created by the US and Israeli actions, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
“As long as the US naval blockade continues, the necessary conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz do not exist,” Baqaei said.
He called on Washington to halt what he described as its “destructive actions”, saying that changes in the situation would be necessary before the two sides could discuss possible next steps. His remarks indicated that Tehran continues to link the status of the waterway to the broader military and diplomatic confrontation with Washington.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically vital maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is among the world’s most important energy corridors, through which substantial volumes of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from major Gulf producers are transported to international markets.
Any prolonged disruption to shipping through the strait could therefore have significant implications for global energy markets and international maritime trade.
Baqaei also addressed discussions between Iran and Oman concerning the establishment of a maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. He described the talks as a bilateral issue involving Tehran and Muscat and stressed that any agreement reached between the two countries should not automatically be interpreted as a decision to reopen the entire waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi had made a similar clarification on Sunday, stating that Tehran was not currently engaged in direct negotiations with the United States.
Speaking to reporters at the Centre for Political and International Studies of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Aragchi said intermediaries were continuing efforts to explore possibilities for restarting negotiations. However, he maintained that Tehran would not return to talks until Washington ended what Iran considers violations of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and addressed the breaches it had allegedly committed.
Aragchi also said Iran and Oman were in the final stages of discussions aimed at determining a new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, he emphasised that reaching an agreement with Oman on the route would not amount to reopening the strait.
“Of course, this does not mean the opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” Aragchi said, adding that an agreement with Oman could be reached while the reopening of the waterway would remain dependent on several other conditions.
The statements from Baqaei and Aragchi underline Tehran’s position that the maritime route issue and the broader question of reopening the Strait of Hormuz are separate matters.
Iran’s latest position comes amid heightened tensions involving the country, the United States and Israel, with the strategic waterway remaining a major focus of international attention because of its importance to global energy supplies.
For now, Tehran has indicated that diplomatic developments, changes in US actions and broader security conditions will determine whether the Strait of Hormuz can return to normal operations.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
