Will Strait of Hormuz reopen soon? Iran agrees to set conditions after Qatar talks

Iran has agreed to draw up a list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as mediators renew efforts to restore shipping through the crucial waterway six months after the war disrupted global trade. The move followed fresh diplomatic pressure from Qatar, whose prime minister travelled to Tehran on Thursday (Aug 27) and urged Iranian leaders to respect freedom of navigation in the strait.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani later said he had stressed to senior Iranian officials “the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law.”

Iran, however, appears unwilling to reopen the waterway without extracting concessions from Washington. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran was preparing a list of conditions after mediators asked it to clearly spell out its demands.

Speaking through an interpreter in an interview with Al Manar TV, Rezaei said Iran had also agreed with Oman on a proposed shipping corridor. The route would run partly through Omani waters and partly through Iranian waters, with ships using a designated central channel if the United States met Tehran’s conditions.

What is Tehran demanding?

Iran’s earlier demands have included lifting what it calls a US blockade of Iranian ports, paying compensation and removing sanctions. It remains unclear whether Tehran will modify those terms to make an agreement acceptable to Washington.

The dispute over the strait has become a major bargaining point since the US and Israel launched the war six months ago. Iran threatened to strike vessels crossing the waterway without its authorisation, causing shipping traffic to plunge and oil prices to rise. Before the conflict, the narrow passage between Iran and Oman carried about 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply.

Qatar and Pakistan had earlier helped broker a June memorandum of understanding that produced a ceasefire and set out shipping arrangements. But the agreement quickly unravelled over disagreements about Iran’s authority over maritime traffic.

Trump declared the MOU “over” just three weeks later. Now, with direct US-Iran talks stalled, mediators are trying once again to unlock the strait – but Tehran has made clear that any reopening will come on its terms.