Iran issued a set of far-reaching new conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, even as the United Arab Emirates reported that one of its vessels had been targeted by an Iranian missile. At the same time, Yemen’s military launched an assault on the country’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, a powerful body often compared to a politburo, declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States “corrects its behavior.” The fresh demands, which risk complicating negotiations over the management of the strategic waterway and the traffic that passes through it, were made public by the council’s secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, via Iranian state television.
According to the statement, the United States must never again threaten Iran, must permanently end hostilities against Iran and its regional armed allies, lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and withdraw its military forces from the area. It must also “completely compensate” Iran for war damage, remove sanctions, and “unconditionally” release frozen Iranian assets.
The United States did not immediately respond, having insisted that an acceptable agreement on the Strait of Hormuz must be reached before it lifts the blockade.
Iran had earlier said it was nearing a deal with Oman to establish arrangements for managing the strategic waterway, which lies between the two countries.
Oman, the Gulf Arab state mediating the talks, has made few public comments on the negotiations. In a statement on Saturday, however, it said discussions were continuing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and condemned attacks on vessels transiting the strait.
An Abu Dhabi-owned vessel operated by state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC came under attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati authorities said on Saturday. The UAE Foreign Ministry said Iran had fired the missile as part of attacks targeting commercial shipping.
ADNOC said no casualties were reported in the latest incident, which occurred early Saturday. The company added that more than a dozen of its vessels have been targeted by missiles and drones while passing through the strait since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran in February. According to ADNOC, the attacks have so far killed one crew member and injured 20 others.
ADNOC did not provide details about the exact location of the attack or disclose whether the vessel sustained any damage.
Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel east of Khasab, Oman, had been hit by a projectile, triggering a fire that was subsequently extinguished. The vessel and its crew were reported to be safe. It remained unclear whether the incident was the same attack reported by ADNOC.
Iran and Oman, located on opposite sides of the Strait of Hormuz, have been discussing an agreement to manage the waterway, which had been regarded as an international passage before the war.
The attacks came in response to recent strikes by the Houthis in central and eastern Yemen. Col. Majed al-Nazili, a spokesperson for Yemen’s military, said the operations targeted the rebels’ “sites and capabilities” across several front lines, but provided no further details.
