Iran will not open Strait of Hormuz until US meets number of conditions, - Speaker of Parliament
Iran has no intention of restoring free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz until the US has fulfilled all the conditions set out in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
This was stated by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as quoted by the Mehr news agency, according to Censor.NET.
Requirements for opening a canal
" "Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz until the conditions set out in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding have been met, including the lifting of the blockade, the return of frozen assets, the lifting of the oil embargo and the cessation of threats and military operations on all fronts," said Galibaf.
Threats of escalation
The speaker also stated that Iran believes the US "agreed to a ceasefire deal out of desperation, but soon reneged on its commitments in an attempt to make up for its heavy political defeat".
"Iran is prepared to inflict a greater defeat on the enemy than before, in proportion to its actions and advances," added Galibaf.
What led up to it?
Earlier, the media reported that Iran is preparing for a large-scale war with the US. In particular, rather than pursuing diplomacy, the Iranian leadership has spent the last few months preparing for a new round of escalation.
- Trump promised to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory after "crushing" Iran.
- The US claims de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz, whilst Tehran insists on its right to determine the conditions of navigation. Iran and Oman are drawing up an agreement on a new route through the strait, but Tehran is making its full opening conditional on concessions from the US – specifically, compensation, the easing of sanctions and an end to threats.
- The Iranian authorities have stated that it is impossible to seize the Strait of Hormuz via a tweet.
- US President Donald Trump stated that no negotiations with Iran are currently taking place, nor are any planned.
