Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting a naval blockade.
“I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding… are implemented,” Ghalibaf said in a speech broadcast on state television. On Monday, Iran said that talks were “continuing in a serious manner” and views were being exchanged on the text of a “joint statement”. US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a deal with Iran on Hormuz, and called for Tehran to surrender in a war that has become a growing political burden at home. Ghalibaf during his speech said Iran was “ready to inflict an even more crushing defeat on the enemy, proportionate to its actions and advances”.
