Iran says Strait of Hormuz stays closed until U.S. fulfills memorandum commitments

Iran's top negotiator declared on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills its commitments under a memorandum of understanding that expired the previous day. The statement from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf came as a 60-day deadline for a final peace agreement passed without a deal, leaving the two nations locked in a dispute over the critical waterway.

Ghalibaf, speaking during a virtual parliamentary session broadcast on state television, listed Iran's demands. These include the removal of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, the lifting of oil sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad, and an end to all military threats and operations. "I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding are implemented," Ghalibaf said.

The memorandum of understanding, signed in June through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, was intended to end hostilities and provide a 60-day window for negotiating a broader settlement. It called for an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations, respect for sovereignty, and a...