Iran has hardened its position on the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the vital waterway will remain closed until the United States meets a set of conditions, including lifting its naval blockade and paying compensation for wartime damage. The remarks came from foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, who framed the standoff as a strategic contest.
“It is up to the US side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday, referring to the US blockade of Iranian ports. He added, “Lights out or lights on, Iranians showed they are professional chess players,” a direct retort to President Donald Trump’s description of the negotiations as a “board game”.
Trump had signalled on Sunday that he was prepared to let economic pressure mount against Iran, appearing to step back from further military strikes after Tehran issued its list of demands. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—which normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil—has become the most enduring consequence of the conflict that began in late February.
Tehran’s conditions for reopening
Iran’s demands, laid out over the weekend by senior official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, include an end to what Tehran calls “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq”. They also call for the lifting of the US counterblockade of Iranian ports, the removal of economic sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and compensation for months of war damage.
Baghaei reiterated on Monday that “as long as the US naval blockade continues … the necessary conditions for saying that the Strait of Hormuz has become a safe waterway will not exist”. He also confirmed that Iran is holding separate talks with Oman over transit through the strait, including the possibility of a temporary shipping corridor, but stressed that any full reopening depends on negotiations with Washington.
The impasse has kept energy prices at the forefront of US politics ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump, quoted by Axios, said, “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.” He added, “It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game.”
Meanwhile, Iran and Oman are drafting a shipping plan for the strait, though Trump has rejected the idea of tolls. The situation remains fluid, with Qatar claiming regional mediators are close to a deal to reopen the waterway, but Tehran’s latest statements suggest no breakthrough is imminent.
Khamenei’s whereabouts and role
In a separate development, Iran’s state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian recently met with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since assuming the role of supreme leader early in the war. Khamenei’s office said the two “discussed in detail the country's issues and problems”, including the “current military situation and future prospects”, but did not specify the date of the meeting.
Pezeshkian, a medical doctor, had earlier said that communication with Khamenei was “very difficult at the moment”. Speculation about the ayatollah’s health has persisted after reports that he was wounded in the strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US officials have said the younger Khamenei was severely injured and likely “disfigured” in the opening salvo on 28 February, while Iranian sources claim he is in hiding as a precaution.
The IRGC, which answers directly to the supreme leader, is believed to be playing an outsized role in shaping Tehran’s negotiating positions. The extent of Khamenei’s involvement in the talks with Washington remains unclear.
Regional realignment
Baghaei also commented on the defence pact signed last week between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, calling it “a sign of a change in the perception” of regional countries towards the United States. “The countries of the region have realised that security is not a commodity that can be bought from false brokers,” he said, adding that they “cannot rely on the claim of security provided by the US as in the past”.
He dismissed concerns that the pact could be aimed at Iran, citing “deep religious, historical and civilisational ties” with the three signatories. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement means an attack on any member would be treated as an attack on all, and that it is “intended to strengthen collective deterrence”.
The war has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted regional shipping routes, with a second Qatari LNG tanker hit in the strait as force majeure expands. For European observers, the prolonged closure of Hormuz has direct implications for energy security and prices across the continent, making the outcome of these negotiations a matter of global concern.
