Iran is hardening its position on the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Washington must take concrete steps and meet its “conditions” before formal negotiations can resume, sources have told The National.
Diplomacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly has struggled to produce a breakthrough, with the Iranians telling mediators that Tehran insists the US remove the blockade before taking any steps.
Iranian and US officials used mediators in New York this week to exchange proposals to end the months-long conflict and reopen the strategic waterway.
But sources close to the Iranian delegation and diplomats from the West said Tehran offered no concessions from its publicly stated position and was now waiting for Washington to respond to demands presented during the discussions.
The stance underscores the significant gap that remains despite renewed diplomatic engagement. Tehran has linked reopening the Strait of Hormuz to measures including easing US military pressure and lifting the blockade on Iranian ports, while Washington has resisted taking such steps before Iran demonstrates what it considers sufficient goodwill.
Contact between the two sides this week has so far focused on clarifying positions rather than producing a breakthrough. An Iranian source close to the delegation said the talks in New York aimed to exchange messages and positions and did not amount to negotiations.
“The Iranian delegation presented its demands aimed at moving the diplomatic process forward, with no concessions from its publicly stated official position,” the source said, adding that Tehran was now waiting for Washington to clarify its position and respond to a “paper” Iran presented.
“The talks were more like workshops to explore positions and gauge the leeway available to adjust them,” a source involved in the mediation process said. “The two sides were probing each other to find out how far the other side can compromise or make concessions.”
New initiative
Iran’s public position has also hardened around the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that reopening the strategic waterway remains one of the biggest obstacles to a broader agreement.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran had drawn up seven conditions and passed them to the US through regional mediators.
“Until our conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened and we will not negotiate,” Mr Rezaei said in an interview with Iranian state media. He added the “conditions” had been given to Pakistan and Qatar after discussions involving Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and insisted Washington would have to act first.
In an interview aired on Thursday on the Fox News show Special Report with Bret Baier, Mr Pezeshkian said: “We do not wish to continue. It's America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not.”
His statement came after State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told The National in an interview that President Donald Trump is in an advantageous position in dealings with Iran.
The Iranian position is increasingly colliding with international efforts to secure unconditional freedom of navigation through one of the world's most important energy corridors.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani on Thursday read a joint statement at the UN, backed by about 80 countries, demanding the urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and condemning Iranian attacks on regional states and international shipping.
“Five months after our last press takeout on this very issue, the threat we face remains very real and continues to grow,” Mr Al Zayani said.
The National understands that Europe and Washington are discussing a separate western-backed UN Security Council initiative to provide political backing for an international military mission protecting navigation through Hormuz, and that the text is being drafted.
The effort is based on the belief that such an initiative has a better chance of securing support from China and Russia than the earlier Bahrain-backed proposal, particularly as high oil prices increase pressure for action. Iran remains opposed to the proposed international maritime mission.
The new push comes as the blockade takes an increasing toll on economies globally. Tehran has been suffering heavily from US sanctions and the blockade, while in the US voters are increasingly anxious about the conflict driving up the cost of petrol and diesel less than six weeks before the midterm elections.
On Thursday, the US Senate narrowly rejected a resolution demanding Mr Trump end the war in Iran or seek congressional authorisation, as Democrats sought to put Republicans on the defensive over the unpopular conflict before November's elections.
With polls showing Republicans struggling to keep their slim congressional majorities on November 3, more of them have been edging away from the war.
