The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status after the conflict involving the United States and Israel, according to senior Iranian official Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Speaking in an interview published on Wednesday, the Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator stated that Tehran and Oman reached an understanding to oversee the vital waterway.
The arrangement forms part of Tehran’s seven-point proposal aimed at ending the eight-month war. There are no free or international waters in the corridor, he said. He added that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not apply to the passage.
Instead, regulations within the waterway are governed by the laws of the two littoral states bordering it, according to the top negotiator. Tehran conveyed a clear response to Washington through a Qatari mediator, outlining seven conditions for peace talks, and the country now awaits an official reply.
The conditions presented by Iran include the complete lifting of US-imposed sanctions and the naval blockade. Tehran also demands the release of frozen Iranian funds, the cessation of hostilities across all fronts, and an explicit announcement declaring an end to the war.
These demands stem from the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June. Their implementation is a mandatory step before entering any negotiations with the United States, he stated.
Agreement is possible if Washington limits itself to prior commitments without making excessive demands or engaging in behaviour that breeds distrust, according to Ghalibaf. He identified the primary obstacle to a deal as a lack of trust in the United States.
US officials asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate direct negotiations with Tehran during a visit to Moscow. Warning against further military action, Ghalibaf cautioned that US President Donald Trump will face another defeat and domestic political pressure from the new Congress taking office in January.
Iran intends to move past a state of no war and no peace, he said, calling for a sustainable deterrent capability that includes military strength. Addressing the ongoing conflict in Yemen between Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthi armed group, he stated that no outside party should interfere in the situation.
If both the government in Yemen and Saudi Arabia request assistance, Iran would offer help to resolve the conflict, he added. Iran previously offered to facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group in October following deadly attacks on the kingdom.
