Iran's foreign minister says renewed talks with Washington remain possible, but Tehran ties any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to an end to the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has shifted from military pressure to economic sanctions and shows no interest in reviving June's deal terms.
Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote in an X post on Friday: "putting diplomacy back on track isn't impossible," even as talks between Tehran and Washington appear to have collapsed after six months of war. He said renewed negotiations hinge on the U.S. accepting that pressure doesn't work, adding that Washington should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge Iran's rights and uphold its commitments.
Tehran ties Hormuz to regional wars
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Lebanese outlet Al Manar TV that any understanding on the Strait of Hormuz will include an end to wars and military operations in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. He said the conflict in Gaza has to end, while Israel must withdraw from Lebanon and halt its attacks on Syria. Rezaei added that Hormuz cannot be separated from the wider regional conflict, and that the U.S. must prove its seriousness in implementing those commitments before new trust can be built.
However, a return to diplomacy does not look imminent. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration has no interest in returning to the terms of the memorandum of understanding it reached with Iran in June. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said President Trump is no longer interested in that framework and is instead waiting to see whether his administration's strategy of pressuring Iran economically works. The U.S. on Monday launched 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.
A limited shipping corridor
Iran is now allowing a "temporary and limited" corridor for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with the future of maritime traffic depending on progress in talks with Washington, according to Rezaei. Earlier in the week, Oman and Iran discussed a proposal to establish a temporary joint shipping route through the strait and a mission to clear mines from the corridor.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, credited U.S. forces with clearing the mines in a video posted to X. He said Centcom has helped facilitate the transit of about 1,500 commercial vessels and 750 million barrels of crude oil over the past several months. Yet the latest available Kpler data showed only five ships crossed Hormuz on Tuesday, far below the roughly 130 ships that used to transit the waterway before the war broke out in February.
Source: CNBC
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