Iran imposed sweeping new conditions on Saturday for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States must change its conduct before normal shipping can resume, while the United Arab Emirates reported that an Iranian missile targeted a vessel owned by state energy company ADNOC. The developments deepened uncertainty around negotiations over one of the world's most important oil and gas routes.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Washington must permanently end the war with Iran and allied armed groups, stop threatening the country, lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw US forces from the area. A statement carried by Iranian state television also demanded compensation for war damage, the removal of sanctions and the unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. The United States did not immediately respond.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately said Iran and Oman were close to agreement on navigation, particularly the route ships would follow. He stressed, however, that agreeing on a transit lane would not by itself reopen the waterway. Oman, which is mediating, said Saturday that talks continued in a positive and constructive atmosphere and condemned attacks on vessels in the strait.
The June interim agreement envisaged a timetable for sanctions relief and discussions of compensation and frozen assets as part of a final settlement. Its 60-day negotiating period expires in just over a week, although the parties may extend it. Iran and Oman border the strait, which functioned as an international waterway before the war, but ship movements remain sharply reduced amid the dispute.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said Iran fired a missile at an ADNOC-owned ship early Saturday during its passage through the strait. ADNOC reported no casualties and gave no details about damage or the precise location. It said more than 12 company vessels had faced missile or drone attacks since the United States and Israel began the war against Iran in February, killing one crew member and injuring 20.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center later reported that a projectile struck a vessel east of Khasab, Oman, starting a fire that the crew extinguished safely. Authorities had not established whether that report concerned the ADNOC vessel. With commercial traffic still low and the deadline approaching, the new Iranian demands and latest maritime attack leave mediators trying to bridge major differences over security, sanctions and control of passage.
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