Iran has again tied the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfilment of commitments it says the United States made under a June 2026 memorandum of understanding (MoU), as Tehran maintains a hardline position following the collapse of the agreement.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated the position while addressing Parliament, saying the strategic waterway would remain closed until Washington meets the commitments Tehran says were agreed in June.
Ghalibaf said Iran had “explicitly conveyed its messages and conditions to the opposing side through intermediaries”, Al Jazeera reported. He said Tehran would not return to the previous state of negotiations or reopen the Strait until what Iran considers its legitimate rights are recognised and US commitments are implemented.
Tehran's conditions for reopening the waterway
The conditions include the lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports, removal of sanctions against Iran, release of Iranian frozen assets and an end to US threats and military operations against Iran on all fronts, according to remarks Ghalibaf made to Parliament and reported by Reuters on August 18.
The Iranian position also covers other commitments that Tehran says Washington made under the June agreement. Ghalibaf has previously said that Iran would not compromise on what it regards as its rights in the Strait and that free passage under the MoU was limited to 60 days.
The text of the June MoU included provisions requiring the US to begin removing its naval blockade immediately and fully end it within 30 days. Iran, meanwhile, undertook to make its best efforts to facilitate the safe passage of commercial vessels for 60 days while arrangements were made to restore traffic.
The agreement also envisaged the removal of US sanctions under a schedule to be agreed as part of a final deal, while the two sides committed to negotiating that final agreement within a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent.
How the June agreement unravelled
The MoU was signed on June 17 and was intended to provide a framework for further negotiations between Washington and Tehran, including discussions on Iran's nuclear programme. The agreement followed a period of conflict and was designed to provide a route towards a broader settlement.
US President Donald Trump declared the agreement “over” on July 7. Iran's Foreign Ministry subsequently declared it suspended a week later, amid disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz and the implementation of the agreement.
Under the understanding, Iran and the US were supposed to negotiate a final agreement within 60 days. The provisions covered broader issues, including the future of Iran's nuclear programme, as well as security and economic arrangements.
The original MoU also envisaged a US commitment, together with regional partners, to develop a plan worth at least USD 300 billion for Iran's reconstruction and economic development, with the mechanism to be finalised as part of the proposed final deal.
Strait remains a critical global energy route
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world's most important energy corridors. Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the waterway, making prolonged disruption a major concern for energy markets and international shipping.
Shipping traffic has remained well below normal levels. According to preliminary data reported by Reuters on September 16, only four vessels crossed the Strait on September 15, compared with a 10-day average of 18. Two vessels were entering and two were leaving, while no very large crude carriers or LNG tankers were recorded among those four crossings.
The figures may not capture every vessel because some ships may have switched off their tracking transponders while passing through the waterway. Reuters reported that the vessels recorded included a very large gas carrier carrying about 470,000 barrels of LPG and a Panamax-sized tanker carrying around 510,000 barrels of naphtha.
The disruption has also affected Iran's own energy exports. Reuters reported on September 1 that Iran had gone about seven weeks without shipping significant crude exports through the Strait, marking an unprecedented interruption and cutting off an important source of foreign-currency earnings.
Tehran maintains pressure as diplomacy stalls
Ghalibaf's latest remarks indicate that Tehran continues to make the reopening of Hormuz conditional on the implementation of what it considers Washington's obligations under the June agreement.
Iran had also said earlier in September that it did not reject negotiations but regarded them as part of its broader confrontation with the US and Israel. Ghalibaf said the United States needed to fulfil its commitments under the MoU before Tehran would move towards reopening the Strait.
The latest position comes amid continuing disruption to maritime traffic and a wider deterioration in US-Iran relations. *Reuters* reported in August that an Iranian official said Tehran would adopt a more offensive posture because diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict had stalled.
Separately, China has called on Iran and the United States to exercise restraint and return to the June memorandum, urging both sides to resume consultations and work towards stabilising the strategically important waterway.