Iran warns Strait of Hormuz reopening conditional on US demands
Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen unless the United States accepts its demands, including easing sanctions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen unless the United States accepts a set of key demands, including easing economic sanctions, paying war reparations, and ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. The warning came as negotiations between Iran and Oman over a new shipping route through the vital waterway appeared to be in their final stages, but Tehran made clear that any agreement with Oman would not guarantee the strait's reopening while US pressure continues.
The development marks the latest twist in a conflict that has now lasted more than five months. President Donald Trump had announced over the weekend that he was cancelling planned US and Israeli strikes on Iran, saying that a deal was within reach. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said the USA was "locked and loaded" but that he had agreed to cancel the attack "subject to being able to rapidly make a deal". He claimed that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for the pause, and that any deal would include the "immediate complete and total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
Iran immediately dismissed that claim as a "new lie". The Iranian foreign ministry said it was not holding any negotiations with the United States, and that its only talks were with Oman, which lies on the opposite coast of the strait. Over the following days, both Iran and Oman described their discussions as positive and constructive, with Iran's foreign minister saying they were very close to an agreement on a new shipping route. Reports suggested the deal would involve inbound ships using a northern lane through Iranian waters and outbound ships using a southern lane through Omani waters, with no tolls during an initial 60-day period.
However, on the same day that Iran acknowledged progress with Oman, Tehran's security chief issued a stark warning. The strait would not open, he said, until the United States agreed to six conditions. These included easing economic sanctions, paying war reparations, and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports. The demand for reparations was seen as a significant escalation, and analysts suggested it could be a delaying tactic or a negotiating ploy. The United States has consistently refused to accept any Iranian control over the strait, and President Trump has threatened to hit Iran "very hard" if a deal is not reached.
The uncertainty has had a direct impact on global oil markets. Brent crude fell sharply when Trump announced the cancellation of strikes, but prices rose again after Iran's conditions were made public. The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil, and shipping traffic through it has slowed to a trickle since the war began. The conflict has also spread beyond the strait, with attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, drone strikes on Saudi oil facilities, and a missile attack on a UAE tanker reported by Emirati authorities.
US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have said they hope a deal can be reached within days, but Iran's insistence on preconditions has cast doubt on that timeline. The war, which began on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has already cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives. President Trump, facing midterm elections in November, is under pressure to end the conflict, but his repeated threats and retreats have led many analysts to question whether either side is willing to make the compromises needed for a lasting settlement.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump said he paused US strikes on Iran at the request of the country brokering talks between Tehran and Washington. | |||||||
| Iranian state media called Trump's claim that Iran requested talks a 'new lie'. | · | · | |||||
| The pattern of Trump threatening massive attacks and then calling them off has occurred several times during the five-month conflict. | · | · | |||||
| Iran's foreign ministry said talks with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz are in final stages. | · | · | · | ||||
| Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called Trump to dissuade him from attacking. | · | · | · | ||||
| US and Israel were reported to be planning strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. | · | · | · | ||||
| Trump stated that the US Navy controls the Strait of Hormuz and that no goods reach Iran without a deal or surrender. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Brent crude oil fell below $80 a barrel following the news. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Egypt's cabinet confirmed a drone caused a fire on two vessels off its Mediterranean coast, one of which is US-owned. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Iran's acting defense minister said Iran will not be passive and will increase readiness. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned against 'adventurous action' by the US. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Iran's foreign minister said Iran and Oman were close to an agreement on a new shipping route through the Strait. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided the most extensive coverage, with multiple segments, expert analysis, and on-the-ground reporting from Iran. It emphasised the confusion and contradictions between US and Iranian statements, the pattern of threats and retreats, and the human cost of the war. The channel also highlighted the role of regional mediators and the economic impact on global markets.
- “The attack may have been called off. The same barriers to diplomacy remain.”
- “This is not the first time that President Trump has threatened Iran with massive bombardment. Bombing Iran into the stone ages still is something that people in Tehran talk about and indeed laugh at.”
BBC One West focused on the immediate news of Trump calling off strikes and Iran's denial, with shorter segments and expert commentary. It highlighted the pattern of Trump's threats and the lack of progress, and also covered the domestic impact in the UK, such as fuel theft due to high prices.
- “The attack may have been called off, the same barriers to diplomacy remain.”
- “President Trump says the blockade of Iran will continue unless a deal is made or the country totally surrenders, as he put it.”
Sky News provided continuous coverage with military analyst Sean Bell, focusing on the regional spread of the war and the pressure on President Trump. It emphasised the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in urging restraint, and the domestic political pressures on Trump ahead of the midterms. The channel also highlighted the decline in shipping through the strait and the strategic implications for Iran.
- “It does seem that Donald Trump has put the war on hold.”
- “The challenge is that it's gone from just being a war against Iran to a much more of a regional war now.”
ITV1 focused on the cancellation of strikes and the uncertainty of any truce, with reporters noting that 'caution remains the safest assessment'. It highlighted the political pressure on Trump and the Iranian response, including state media showing ships waiting for permission to pass through the strait. The channel also covered the economic impact on UK fuel prices.
- “It does feel like we have been here before, so caution really remains the safest assessment.”
- “Tehran has dismissed the president's claim, saying they are nothing but a new lie.”
Channel 4 offered a more analytical and critical perspective, with experts arguing that Iran has the upper hand and that the war has been a strategic defeat for the United States. It focused on the details of the proposed Oman-Iran deal, the depletion of US munitions, and the broader geopolitical consequences. The channel also highlighted the irony that the main achievement of the war is a return to a situation worse than before.
- “The Iranians have the upper hand. They are now getting in the current deal that is being negotiated exactly what they wanted, which is control over one of the most critical choke points in the world.”
- “Six months of war after the 28th of February, billions of dollars later, thousands of dead people, mostly on the Iranian side and some dead Iranian Ayatollahs, including the Supreme Leader, have left the world in a situation that was not quite as good as it was on the 27th of February.”
5 News provided a brief, straightforward summary of the day's developments, focusing on Trump's announcement that talks would begin and the cancellation of strikes. It did not offer deep analysis but did include a quote from Trump and noted the oil price reaction.
- “When the allies ask to call it off, you got to sort of say, well, let's see. And the reason they ask is I think there's a deal.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.