00:01The Strait of Hormuz may be inching closer to a diplomatic breakthrough,
00:07but Iran says the world's most important energy choke point will not reopen simply because of a deal with Oman.
00:16Tehran has made one thing clear.
00:19Any agreement over shipping routes is only part of the equation.
00:23Iran now says the Strait will remain effectively closed until the United States accepts Tehran's conditions,
00:32setting up a new showdown over one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.
00:38Iran's Revolutionary Guard has declared that reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends entirely on Washington changing what Tehran describes as
00:49its behavior.
00:50Guard spokesperson Hossein Mohebi said the reopening is not linked to negotiations with Oman,
00:58but instead hinges on whether the United States accepts Iran's demands.
01:04Those remarks came despite Iranian officials confirming that negotiations with Oman are approaching a breakthrough.
01:12Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran and Oman are very close to reaching an agreement on a new shipping route
01:21through the Strait.
01:22However, he stressed that reopening commercial traffic requires much more than a technical arrangement.
01:29Iran says Washington must first meet several political and security conditions.
01:34Among those demands are compensation for damage caused during the conflict, an end to U.S. military threats against Iran,
01:44lifting sanctions, removing what Tehran calls the blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets,
01:51and ending actions against Iran's regional allies.
01:55The developments come as the conflict enters another sensitive phase.
02:00The United States has repeatedly expressed optimism that an agreement could soon restore commercial shipping through Hormuz.
02:09American officials say Washington is prepared to lift restrictions on Iranian ports once Tehran fulfills its commitments under any future
02:19agreement.
02:19But Iran continues to reject suggestions that negotiations alone guarantee the reopening of the waterway.
02:28Meanwhile, tensions remain high inside the strait itself.
02:33The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of launching another attack against a vessel linked to ADNOC while transiting Hormuz.
02:43Oman described the negotiations with Tehran as positive and constructive while urging all parties to avoid actions that could undermine
02:53diplomatic progress.
02:55Iranian President Massoud Pezash Khan said the current moment offers the best opportunity to reach an agreement.
03:03He argued that Iran enters negotiations from what he describes as a position of unity and strength following months of
03:12conflict.
03:13Yet, despite diplomatic optimism, commercial shipping continues to face major disruption.
03:20Iran has justified tighter control over maritime traffic by citing wartime security concerns.
03:27The resulting restrictions have pushed freight costs higher, disrupted global energy supplies, and fueled inflation across international markets.
03:38According to U.S. Central Command, more than 30 humanitarian vessels have been allowed through during the blockade,
03:46while dozens of other ships have been turned away or intercepted under existing enforcement measures.
03:52For now, diplomats continue working toward an agreement.
03:57But Tehran's latest message leaves little doubt.
04:00The fate of the Strait of Hormuz will ultimately depend not only on negotiations with Oman,
04:07but on whether Washington is willing to meet Tehran's broader political demands.
04:12With global energy markets closely watching every development,
04:17the Strait of Hormuz remains the world's most sensitive maritime flashpoint.
04:23As negotiations continue, any breakthrough now appears inseparable from the broader political confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
04:50Transcription from 2.9.2021
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