Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Sep 21: Iran has ruled out reopening the Strait of Hormuz or returning to the previous framework of negotiations with the United States until Washington meets Tehran’s conditions, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
Ghalibaf said Iran had conveyed its demands to the United States through intermediaries and would not change its position until those conditions were fulfilled.
“Our messages and conditions have been conveyed explicitly to the other side through intermediaries. And until these conditions are met, the inalienable rights of the Iranian nation are recognised, and the Americans fulfil their commitments, there will be no possibility of a return to the previous negotiation framework or to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route for global oil and gas shipments, has emerged as a major flashpoint in the confrontation. Restrictions on shipping through the waterway have raised concerns over energy supplies, international trade and the wider global economy. Recent shipping data showed commercial traffic through the strait had fallen sharply amid the conflict.
Ghalibaf’s remarks came after Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that any renewed US military action against Iran would trigger attacks on American bases and interests across the region.
In a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA, the military command said any US attack would be met with “continuous, effective and painful” attacks. It also warned regional countries against supporting any US military operation, saying those that assisted Washington would be treated as participants in the action.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had redirected 109 commercial vessels as part of efforts to enforce Washington’s naval blockade on Iran.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said that as of September 20, its forces had redirected 109 commercial vessels “to ensure total compliance”. The United States resumed enforcement of its naval blockade on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on July 14. CENTCOM had announced the resumption of the blockade in July, saying its forces would intercept vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran of significant consequences if Iran refuses to alter its behaviour, while also indicating that he could be open to talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei had earlier said Tehran had conveyed conditions for ending the conflict through Qatari mediation. Among the demands were an end to hostilities on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the US naval blockade.
The diplomatic exchanges come against the backdrop of continuing military tensions between Iran and the United States and growing concerns over the security of vital shipping routes in West Asia. Iran has maintained that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until its conditions are met and US commitments are fulfilled.
The developments coincide with the gathering of world leaders in New York for the UN General Assembly, where the US-Iran confrontation, maritime security and the broader tensions in West Asia are expected to feature prominently in discussions.