Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war status amid ceasefire talks

Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator has said the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war status, as Tehran waits for an official US response to its conditions for ending the conflict. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an interview published on Wednesday that Iran and Oman had reached an understanding to oversee the strategic waterway as part of a broader settlement framework. He also said Iran had sent its seven conditions for peace talks through a Qatari mediator.

Ghalibaf said the response to Washington included demands such as lifting the US-imposed naval blockade and sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian funds, ending fighting on all fronts, and making an explicit declaration that the war is over. He said these points were part of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and would need to be implemented before negotiations could begin. According to him, "the ball is now in the American court," and Iran is still waiting for an official reply.

The remarks underline how closely the future of the Strait of Hormuz is now tied to the wider war diplomacy. The waterway is one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, and any change in its status can affect energy transport and regional security. Ghalibaf said there are no "free waters" there and argued that the legal regime is governed by the two littoral states bordering the strait.

The comments also point to the role of intermediaries in the current talks. Ghalibaf said Iran used a Qatari mediator to pass its position to the United States, while also claiming that US officials had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help mediate direct negotiations with Tehran during a visit to Moscow. He said Iran wants to move beyond a state of "no war and no peace" and maintain a sustainable deterrent capability.

The interview comes against the backdrop of an eight-month conflict that has shaped Tehran's negotiating stance. Ghalibaf linked the Hormuz issue to the broader war settlement, saying the waterway's management would be part of the final arrangement rather than a return to the previous status quo. His comments suggest that any diplomatic breakthrough would likely involve not only ceasefire terms but also sanctions relief and security guarantees.

What remains unclear is whether Washington will respond to Iran's seven-point proposal, and whether the conditions can form the basis of direct talks. It is also not clear how the proposed Iran-Oman understanding would work in practice or how it would be received by other regional and international actors. For now, the key issue is whether the current exchange of messages can move from mediation to formal negotiations.

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