IRGC: Hormuz Strait to stay closed if US does not accept Iran's terms

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened if the United States does not accept Iran's conditions, according to the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi told reporters that the strategic waterway remains under Iranian control and no vessel can pass through it without Iran's permission.

"All the enemy warships are at least 400 km away from the Strait of Hormuz, and from the military and territorial perspectives, no vessel is able to pass through this waterway without Iran's permission and management," Mohebbi said, adding that even the route near Oman is fully under Iranian control.

He also underlined that the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and Oman.

He said that Iran and Oman have reached agreements on their respective shares of the strait and its revenues following negotiations.

Mohebbi blamed US "obstructionism" for delaying the negotiation process, noting that if Washington returns to compliance with the peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with Iran in June, "we can open the Strait of Hormuz within the agreed framework." "Therefore, the United States must accept our conditions.

If the United States does not accept our conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened under any circumstance," he added.

In a joint statement on Tuesday night, Iran and Oman announced that they have discussed a phased framework that includes the establishment of a temporary joint shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint demining project.

The statement said that technical negotiations will continue towards a permanent shipping corridor and the future administration of the waterway, including information exchange, traffic management, and relevant navigation and security services.

The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz comes amid a broader standoff between Tehran and Washington, with tensions playing out on multiple fronts, from economic pressure and diplomatic negotiations to the prospect of further military escalation.

Iran calls on UN to condemn US 'economic terrorism' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the United Nations to condemn what he described as Washington's illegal campaign of "economic terrorism" against Iran, referring to it as "Operation Economic Outcast." In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the Security Council and UN member states, Araghchi said the US campaign was aimed at disrupting Iran's lawful economic ties with other countries through threats of secondary sanctions and exclusion from the US financial system.

The letter was published on Wednesday on his Telegram channel.