Iran and Oman are "very close" to reaching an agreement on a new shipping arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has said the strategic waterway will reopen only after the United States meets a set of conditions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the two countries were nearing a deal on a new protocol governing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while adding that additional conditions would have to be fulfilled before commercial maritime traffic could resume.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately said reopening the strait would depend on "specific mechanisms and conditions" and would require the US to "fully" accept Iran's demands, Al Jazeer reported.
IRGC spokesperson Sardar Mohebi said the conditions for reopening the waterway were separate from the ongoing negotiations with Oman.
He said Iran expected the US to end what Tehran considers interference in regional negotiations before the strait could be reopened.
According to the report, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr outlined several other demands, including an end to US threats against Iran, a halt to military action against Iran and its regional allies, and the withdrawal of US naval and air forces involved in the blockade.
Tehran is also seeking compensation for damage caused during the conflict, along with the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian assets, according to Al Jazeera.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday described the current situation as the "best time to reach an agreement", while saying Tehran would not compromise on what he called the rights of the Iranian people.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said his government would continue to rely on domestic capabilities and the Iranian people and stressed the need for a compassionate approach towards citizens.
"The best time to reach an agreement is the current situation. On the path to peace, we will not compromise on the rights of the Iranian nation. The government's main reliance is on domestic capacities and the people. The necessity of a compassionate approach toward the people | People are in two categories; either they are your religious brothers, or they are equal to you in creation," he wrote.
Pezeshkian had earlier accused Israel and the US of attempting to turn Persian Gulf countries against Tehran while exploiting Iran's internal challenges amid the continuing West Asia conflict.
The restoration of commercial maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of contention as negotiations continue.
