Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Islamic Republic of Iran officially declared that the strategic Strait of Hormuz will remain entirely closed to international shipping until all active American military threats directed at Tehran are completely resolved. Behnam Saeeidi, Secretary of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian Parliament, confirmed on Thursday, August 6, 2026, that the country’s armed forces have no immediate intention of lifting the ongoing naval blockade.
Saeeidi clarified to the Tasnim News Agency that recent high-stakes bilateral negotiations with the Sultanate of Oman are strictly confined to mapping localized vessel navigation channels. The state representative emphasized that the resulting maritime understanding with Muscat does not mean the vital global energy chokepoint will be reopened to commercial transit.
Tehran Sets Total American Military Withdrawal as Unalterable Precondition for Waterway Reopening
The parliamentary secretary explicitly stated that negotiations regarding the normalization of the strait can only commence once the United States halts its naval blockade and withdraws all military personnel from the region. Tehran has directly warned Omani mediators that it will under no circumstances permit American intervention or a persistent United States military presence inside the shared waterway.
The rigid geopolitical gridlock follows the total collapse of a Pakistan-mediated diplomatic agreement originally signed between Washington and Tehran on June 14. That initial stabilization framework mandated a phased reopening of the shipping channel in direct exchange for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian financial assets.
Violations of June Memorandum Prompt Iranian Missile Regimes to Enforce Strict Maritime Restrictions
The fragile compromise dissolved into active hostility after the United States withheld the release of the frozen funds and attempted to establish an alternative shipping route through Omani territorial waters. Tehran officially categorized these unilateral American maneuvers as a major breach of the binding memorandum, prompting immediate retaliatory naval actions across the basin.
In response to the perceived diplomatic violations, Iranian defensive divisions restricted all non-authorized navigation and targeted several merchant vessels attempting to transit without explicit sovereign permission. International energy analysts warn that the prolonged closure of the strait will continue to strain global crude supplies and maintain a high-risk posture across regional trade corridors.
