Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission approved outlines for a draft bill to manage the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported Sunday. IRNA wrote the proposed legislation includes a ban on vessels owned or flagged by the U.S., Israel or other countries and entities Iran considers hostile. Expediency Discernment Council Chairman Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli […]
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Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission approved outlines for a draft bill to manage the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported Sunday.
IRNA wrote the proposed legislation includes a ban on vessels owned or flagged by the U.S., Israel or other countries and entities Iran considers hostile.
Expediency Discernment Council Chairman Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani maintained Sunday that Iran is still positioned at the strait, and that it is still controlled by Iran.
“Under no circumstances will we retreat, and the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous conditions,” Larijani said.
This comment comes after Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, gave several conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
If these aren’t met, Zolghadr said, the waterway which previously had 20% of the world’s water supply go through will stay closed.
According to semi-official news agency Tasnim, Iran is demanding that the U.S. never threatens Iran; ends aggression against Tehran, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq; lifts the naval blockade in the strait and withdraws its naval and air forces from Iran; pays damages caused to Iran from the war; lifts sanctions against Iran; and releases “blocked and stolen assets of the Iranian people.”
“The Supreme National Security Council will never back down, neither in war nor in negotiations,” he said.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday there are no direct talks between the U.S. and Iran. Instead, messages are being exchanged between the two countries through intermediaries.
“Some intermediary countries are still trying to create the conditions for negotiations to resume,” Araghchi was quoted by state media as saying.
In an interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is trying to “maximize the amount of oil and gas that are coming out of the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Right now, we’re trying to see if they’re willing to make the kind of long-term changes that would be necessary to have a better relationship with the United States,” he said. “And if not, that’s fine too. We’re just going to keep on applying the pressure that we can apply and getting as much oil and gas out of the Middle East.”
Vance said the U.S. is in the “middle of the game here,” though said he still feels confident “we will get there.”
