Iran says Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until its seven conditions are met after tanker attacks
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported two tanker strikes near Oman and in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran reiterated that the waterway will remain closed until its demands outlined in the Islamabad Memorandum are fulfilled.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said at least two tankers were hit over the weekend – one four nautical miles east of Oman on Saturday and another in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, damaging the latter's engine room. The incidents come amid ongoing attacks on vessels transiting the strait, a key route for roughly 20% of global oil shipments before the conflict that began on Feb. 28.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, cited by state media Nour News, stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until all seven conditions of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding are satisfied, adding that Iran will not base its security decisions on statements from U.S. officials.
The conditions Tehran listed include a cessation of U.S. military actions, an end to the naval blockade of Iranian ports, the termination of economic pressure measures, and the release of Iranian assets. The United States has continued to demand that Iran dismantle its nuclear weapons program.