Iran’s top security leadership has dampened expectations of a rapid, comprehensive restoration of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the strategic waterway will not return to “normal” conditions until the United States changes course. In comments carried by the New York Post, IRGC General Hossein Mohebbi said the “reopening of the Strait of Hormuz” would be governed by Iran’s own “mechanisms and conditions,” and would not be linked to negotiations between Iran and Oman. He added that once the American side accepts Iran’s conditions and abandons its “interventionist approach,” the conditions for reopening would be provided. News Source
The warning arrives as diplomacy around the choke point remains fluid, with Iran appearing to move toward a limited arrangement that could ease restrictions for some vessels while stopping short of fully reopening the strait. Iran’s stance suggests that even if shipping access improves in practice, Tehran may keep meaningful leverage—especially regarding oversight and financial control. According to the same report, Iran wants permanent strategic control of the strait and has sought the ability to impose a toll of up to 7%, a position that would materially shape any framework for transit. News Source
That hard line contrasts with earlier signs that a phased reopening might be possible, but it also fits within a broader pattern of Iran linking changes in Hormuz policy to U.S. actions. The Los Angeles Times reported that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz would not open until the United States “corrects its behavior.” In the same account, the council’s demands included that the U.S. must never again threaten Iran, and must permanently end the war with Iran and its regional armed allies. News Source
During the same period, the strategic context around Hormuz also appeared to be influenced by claims of ship attacks. The Los Angeles Times said the UAE told reporters that one of its ships was targeted by an Iranian missile, and it noted that Iran issued new demands amid those allegations. Oman, a Gulf Arab mediator, characterized discussions as ongoing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere,” while condemning attacks on ships traversing the strait. The combination of security incidents and conditional diplomacy underscores how quickly the issue can escalate, even when talks appear to be progressing. News Source
Other reporting indicates that the question of Hormuz reopening is tightly interwoven with wider negotiations involving ceasefire terms. Military.com, citing reporting from the Associated Press, described a tentative U.S.-Iran understanding that would extend a shaky ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the same account emphasized that implementation would not begin until a signing—according to mediator Pakistan—was expected to occur Friday in Switzerland. News Source
The Military.com summary also highlighted that immediate challenges followed the announcement of the interim framework. It said Israel’s defense minister declared that Israel would not withdraw from land seized in Lebanon because the interim deal was still pending. Iran, in turn, tied the interim deal to halting Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, further complicating timelines for any practical easing at Hormuz. In that sense, even if U.S.-Iran talks yield agreement, third-party constraints and parallel conflict dynamics may determine whether any reopening can be implemented smoothly or at all. News Source
Iran’s messaging about control and blockage also remained uncompromising. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Iran reversed a decision to reopen and warned it would keep transit blocked through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. In that account, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy said the strait was closed until the blockade is lifted, and Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf—described as the chief negotiator with the United States—said the choke point was now under Iran’s control. News Source
The Chronicle further stated that Iran extended the closure to an earlier-designated corridor for safe passage, declaring the strait “fully closed” until U.S. blockade measures on Iranian ports and ships end. That framing suggests Iran views Hormuz not only as a transportation route but as a strategic instrument—one it can open or close in response to perceived pressure. It also implies that any interim or partial reopening—whether for a narrow passage or selected vessel categories—may still be reversible, depending on how Tehran assesses U.S. compliance with its conditions.
With Iran insisting that “full” restoration depends on U.S. behavior, and with demands that range from never threatening Iran again to ending the wider war with Iran and its allies, the prospect of a stable regime for Hormuz appears uncertain. Meanwhile, diplomacy involving Oman as mediator, U.S.-Iran ceasefire extensions, and unresolved disputes involving Israel’s posture in Lebanon all indicate that multiple fronts must align before the strait’s traffic could return to something resembling normal operations. Until then, Iran’s public warnings signal that reopening—if it happens—may remain limited, conditioned, and closely controlled.
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