Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on Sunday, that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until the United States fulfils all seven conditions linked to the June interim agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Qalibaf stated that Iran's position was "completely clear and firm" and that the strait would remain closed until the seven conditions based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding are met.
ALSO READ: India's Gulf Oil Imports Jump In September As Suppliers Find Way Around Hormuz Risk
Qalibaf accused Washington of sending mixed messages publicly while concurrently making proposals through a mediator, Reuters reported. He stated that Iran would no longer accept what he described as delays in negotiations or one-sided demands from the US. His comments came a few days after Tehran received Washington's response to an Iranian diplomatic proposal.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in a separate statement on Sunday, that a proposal put forward by Tehran could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington accepts Iran's conditions.
Speaking to foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran, Araghchi said that Iran had clearly communicated the conditions it wanted the United States to accept for the strategic waterway to reopen, Reuters reported.
He stated that Tehran hoped Washington would choose diplomacy but also warned that Iran was prepared to respond if the United States opted for military action again. "If they move towards military solutions, we are more prepared than before," Araghchi said.
The latest statements come as Qatar has been mediating between Washington and Tehran over an Iranian seven day trust-building proposal. The proposal was aimed at restoring an enhanced version of the June memorandum of understanding and included steps relating to Iran's nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz.
A source briefed on the talks told Reuters that the main disagreement between the two sides was over the sequencing of the proposed steps rather than their individual components.
In August, Reuters reported that Iran had been seeking compensation and an end to US sanctions and military threats as part of conditions for opening the strategic waterway. Iran had also been discussing arrangements with Oman concerning shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Washington and Tehran have remained sharply divided over the terms of any agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquified natural gas shipments passing through it before the conflict began. The waterway lies between Iran and Oman and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea, making any prolonged disruption significant for global energy markets. Reuters previously reported that the effective disruption of traffic through the strait has pushed up energy prices and contributed to inflationary pressures.
The latest Iranian statement creates renewed uncertainty for energy markets because the reopening of Hormuz is now explicitly tied to a political agreement with Washington. If negotiations fail and military tensions increase, the risk to shipping through Hormuz could increase again.
ALSO READ: Will US-Iran War Escalate? Trump Hints At Strikes, Says 'We Blow Them Up or Make a Deal'
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.