Iran Sets Conditions for Reopening Strait of Hormuz; Vance Says Negotiations with Tehran Continue
Welat TV – Erbil
Mohammad Bagher Zulqadar, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a list of demands that he said the United States must meet before Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, Iran’s Mehr News Agency published the list of demands presented by Zulqadar, which includes an end to threats against Iran, a permanent end to the war against Iran and its allies in the region, and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade.
Iranian Demands
The demands also include lifting sanctions imposed on Iran, compensating Iran for damages caused by the conflict, and releasing frozen Iranian assets. Zulqadar’s remarks came amid negotiations between Tehran and Oman aimed at reaching arrangements that would allow for the establishment of a temporary safe corridor for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Zulqadar emphasized that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council would not back down from these demands “whether in war or in negotiations.”
The Strait of Hormuz Crisis
For his part, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said that Iran had informed the United States that it does not intend to impose fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and had pledged to allow oil and gas flows to return to pre-war levels.
In an interview with Fox News, Vance added that the Strait of Hormuz crisis is not in its early stages but is not yet close to ending, describing the situation as still being “in the middle of the game.”
Negotiations Are Ongoing
Vance said that President Donald Trump’s administration is using diplomatic, economic, and military tools to achieve “the best outcome for the American people,” expressing confidence that this goal can be achieved.
At the same time, the U.S. vice president acknowledged that the negotiations have not yet reached their final stage, noting that discussions over arrangements for safe navigation through the Strait are ongoing.
Fears of Escalation
These statements come amid mounting regional and international concerns that negotiations between Washington and Tehran could stall, as tensions between the two sides persist despite mediation efforts by regional parties, led by the Sultanate of Oman, to reach understandings regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and bring the ongoing conflict between the two sides to an end.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, through which a significant portion of global oil and gas trade passes, making any disruption to navigation there a matter of widespread international concern.