Iran: US demands concessions for Hormuz opening

 

TT 

 

Published 16.22

  

Two men wade in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, with ships anchored in the background, outside Bandar Abbas, Iran. Photo: Razieh Poudat/AP/TT

Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz until the US meets its conditions, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“It is up to the US side to cease and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Esmail Baghaei said on Monday, referring to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran wants the US to lift the blockade, pay compensation for damage caused by the war, lift economic sanctions and release Iran’s frozen assets.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a waterway that normally transports about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas – has become the most long-lasting consequence of the war. The stalemate has made energy prices a major issue in American politics ahead of the midterm elections in November.