Strait of Hormuz: Iran demands compensation to reopen

Iran has set conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including compensation for wartime damage, as negotiations continue over navigation through the key waterway.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman on transit and management of the strait were approaching their final stages, but said reopening Hormuz was subject to other conditions and compensation for what he called a violation of a June agreement.

Iranian security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr also demanded an end to the war against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq, as well as the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, compensation for wartime damage and an end to what he described as a parallel US naval blockade of Iran, according to remarks reported by Tasnim news agency.

Iran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel struck Iran in late February. Tehran wants to charge tolls for passage and has attacked ships it accuses of trying to avoid its preferred route through Iranian waters.

The United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry condemned what it called a hostile Iranian missile attack on an ADNOC tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, saying there were no casualties. Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a ship was hit by a projectile off Oman in the strait, causing a fire that was put out and no casualties. It was unclear whether the two statements referred to the same ship.

ADNOC said Friday that 15 of its vessels had been attacked in Hormuz since the start of the war, including three this week. Oman's foreign ministry condemned repeated attacks on vessels transiting the strait, without naming Iran, and said negotiations on navigation arrangements were proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere.