Iran Demands US Withdrawal Before Reopening Critical Oil Waterway
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Iran's top security official, has outlined a series of demands that must be met by the United States before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen. The waterway is a critical oil shipping route and Iran has closed it since February in response to US military actions against it.
Zolghadr said the US must withdraw its naval forces from around Iran, lift sanctions on the country, pay war reparations, release frozen financial assets, and end attacks on Iranian allies. He also demanded that the US stop making threats against Iran.
These demands come as Iran and Oman were close to finalizing a technical framework for shipping through the strait. However, Zolghadr's statement puts new pressure on President Trump ahead of November's midterm elections, where elevated gas prices could become a liability for Republicans.