IRGC links reopening of Strait of Hormuz to Iranian demands
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets Iran’s conditions, heightening concerns over disruptions to a critical global energy route. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that discussions with Oman regarding the management of the Strait are in their final stages, but reopening remains contingent on factors including compensation for damages resulting from the breach of the June agreement. Araghchi denied direct negotiations between Tehran and Washington, noting that the two sides only exchange messages through intermediaries. Since late February, following US and Israeli strikes, Iran has effectively blocked the Strait and demanded transit fees. The IRGC maintains that the waterway is now a 'theatre of war' and will remain closed until all of Tehran's conditions are met. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, previously demanded an end to 'war and aggression' against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq, the lifting of naval blockades and sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and the payment of war reparations, according to the Tasnim news agency. The UAE Foreign Ministry reported that an ADNOC oil tanker was hit by a missile while transiting the Strait, though no casualties were reported. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre also reported a projectile strike and fire on a vessel near Oman; it is unclear if these reports refer to the same incident. Oman condemned the attacks while stating that shipping negotiations continue in a constructive atmosphere. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed a drone attack on an Aramco refinery in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree described the strike as precise, claiming it was in retaliation for Saudi drone incursions. The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that industrial fire teams contained a blaze at the Jizan facility with no injuries reported, though the cause was not specified. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for an attack on the port of Mocha. Fayed al-Numan, deputy information minister for the internationally recognised Yemeni government, stated that the group fired missiles and drones at the port on Sunday. These developments follow a joint defence agreement signed Friday between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, which treats an armed attack on one as an attack on all. It remains unclear what role Islamabad and Ankara will play in the Saudi response. The 2022 ceasefire in the Yemeni civil war appears to have collapsed last month.