Strait of Hormuz Closure Drags On as Iran Sets Seven Conditions

The Strait of Hormuz closure is now in its eighth month, and Tehran says it will not end soon. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the waterway will stay shut until seven Iranian conditions are met.

Ghalibaf said the conditions rest on the Islamabad memorandum. Oman Observer reports that they also draw on a June interim agreement. They include lifting the US naval blockade, unfreezing Iranian assets and halting military pressure.

Why the Strait of Hormuz closure matters

About one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas normally passes through the strait. Al Jazeera describes the disruption as one of the worst maritime shipping crises in decades. It began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran started on 28 February 2026.

Ghalibaf said Iran recently received proposals from Washington through a mediator. He rejected what he called a period of dragging out talks and dictating one-sided demands. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is serious about finding diplomatic solutions, just as it is serious about defending itself.

Washington sees the problem differently. According to Al Jazeera, President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the strait last week. The United States continues to put nuclear talks first. Iran says its main goal is reopening the strait, not nuclear bargaining.

That gap explains the stalemate. Each side wants the other to move first. Neither has shown signs of bending, and mediators have no agreed text to work from.

The economic cost keeps rising. Shipping firms face higher insurance and longer routes. Importers in Asia and Europe face tighter energy supplies. Financial markets also watch every statement from Tehran, as our report on bitcoin and Iran risk showed last month.

Mediators in the region continue to pass messages between the two capitals, but no meeting date has been announced.

For now, the diplomatic channel remains open but narrow. A breakthrough would need movement on the blockade and on frozen assets. Without it, the strait stays closed and the pressure on global energy prices stays on.

Fact basis: Al Jazeera, 4 October 2026 and Oman Observer, 4 October 2026.