Hormuz won’t reopen until its conditions are met, says Abbas Araghchi

NEW YORK: Iran has reiterated that it has not changed its position on the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying the strategic waterway will only reopen if Tehran’s stated conditions are met.

Araghchi dismissed reports suggesting that Iran had shown flexibility on the issues at the centre of negotiations, saying what he described as a wave of “propaganda” had begun and that statements were being attributed to Tehran that did not reflect its position.

“Iran’s position has not changed,” Araghchi said, according to reports on his remarks. He stressed that Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz were clear and that its position on other issues was also unchanged.

The Iranian foreign minister’s comments came as diplomatic efforts continued around the strategic waterway, a major route for global energy shipments. Qatar has been involved in relaying messages between Tehran and Washington, while Iranian and US officials have continued indirect contacts.

Araghchi said the immediate issue under discussion was the Strait of Hormuz and maintained that reopening it depended on the fulfilment of conditions previously announced by Iran.

Iran has previously proposed reopening the waterway within seven days if Washington accepts its conditions. Those demands have included measures concerning the US naval blockade, sanctions and frozen Iranian assets. Tehran has said the proposal does not require concessions on its nuclear programme.

When asked about reports that Iran could show flexibility on the nuclear issue, Araghchi strongly rejected the suggestion.

He said claims of Iranian flexibility over its nuclear programme were incorrect and firmly denied that Tehran had agreed to concessions.

The comments underline the gap between the positions of Tehran and Washington as mediators continue efforts to find a way forward. The Associated Press reported that negotiations are aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait, but significant differences remain, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme and US demands.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the wider diplomatic effort because disruptions there can affect international shipping and energy markets. Any agreement on reopening the waterway would therefore have implications beyond the immediate US-Iran dispute.

For now, Araghchi’s latest remarks indicate that Tehran continues to tie any reopening of the Strait to the conditions it has already put forward, while rejecting reports that it has softened its nuclear position.