Iranian Parliament Speaker Sets Conditions for Reopening Strait of Hormuz

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday.Reuters

RIYADH, August 18 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf presented four steps he said the United States must take before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen, according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

IRNA said the conditions were the removal of the US blockade on Iranian ports, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, and an end to military threats and operations.

Ghalibaf also called on Washington to implement the “other terms” he said it had committed to under the Memorandum of Understanding reached by the United States and Iran in June.

The agreement was intended to halt hostilities and create a route toward a “final deal” within 60 days. That period expired on Monday without a settlement announced.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply since the war began. About one-fifth of global crude oil normally passes through the waterway.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, a vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” while transiting the strait, causing one casualty onboard, according to a report made to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.

Source: CNN