Iran has laid out its conditions for fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, tying the future of the critical oil waterway to a broader end to regional conflicts.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Lebanese outlet Al Manar TV that any understanding with the U.S. on the strait would have to include an end to wars and military operations in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. He said the conflict in the Gaza Strip must end, and demanded that Israel withdraw from Lebanon and halt attacks on Syria.
Rezaei argued that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be separated from the wider regional conflict, adding that the U.S. must “prove its seriousness” in carrying out those commitments “before any new trust could be established.”
Iran is currently allowing a “temporary and limited” corridor for ships to pass through the strait, Rezaei said, with the future of maritime traffic depending on how understandings with Washington develop.
Trump administration rules out June framework
Still, a quick return to diplomacy looks unlikely. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration has no interest in going back to the terms of the memorandum of understanding it reached with Iran in June.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said President Donald Trump is no longer interested in that framework and is instead waiting to see whether his administration’s strategy of pressuring Iran economically will work.
The U.S. on Monday announced an “economic D-Day” campaign against Tehran, threatening countries that do business with the Islamic Republic and shifting its focus from military action to economic pressure.
Oman shipping corridor and mine-clearing dispute
Earlier this week, Oman and Iran discussed a proposal to establish a temporary joint shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, along with a mission to clear mines from the key oil export corridor.
However, a video posted on X late Thursday by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, credited U.S. forces with clearing the mines from the strait. Cooper said Centcom forces have helped facilitate the transit of roughly 1,500 commercial vessels and 750 million barrels of crude oil over the past several months.
“Today, international shipping lanes are open, and momentum is building,” Cooper said.
Still, the latest available Kpler data shows traffic remains far below pre-war levels. Only five ships crossed Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with approximately 130 ships that used to transit the waterway before the war broke out in February.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/28/us-iran-war-trump-hormuz-oman-centcom.html
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