The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important chokepoints for energy trade. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), attacks and harassment by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the strait continue, and the risk of drifting or uncharted mines remains. Commercial shipping continues only at reduced levels.
Trump also said he does not trust Iran. “They have constantly lied to me.” Thanks to the US-led war, the Islamic Republic is no longer the “tyrant of the Middle East.” The previous day, the Republican had claimed that after mine clearance, the strait was navigable again and “100 percent” controlled by the US.
Iran has not directly responded to these statements. Recently, Tehran’s leadership had made the opening of the sea route conditional on concessions from the US and its allies and announced its intention to charge fees for passage through the strait.
The newly appointed head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, stressed according to state broadcaster Press TV that the US must end the war against Iran and its allies in the region and release frozen Iranian funds before the strait can be fully reopened. “As long as the US does not change its behavior and does not accept Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened,” Rezaei said.
The warring parties have long been struggling over the full reopening of the effectively blocked Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of Gulf oil exports pass. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council demanded, in addition to an end to all US threats against the country, the lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region, full financial compensation for war damages. All these demands had previously been stated by Iran as conditions for negotiations with the US.
On Monday, Trump in turn demanded compensation payments from Iran as a condition for further negotiations to resolve the conflict. He wrote on his platform Truth Social that Iran should pay for every victim whose death or injury the regime in Tehran is responsible for.
Before the war against Iran, which began at the end of February with the US and Israel, shipping in the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman was largely undisturbed. About a fifth of the world’s oil demand was transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: Stadt München
