World
Iran Holds Hormuz Shut, Demands U.S. Meet Seven Conditions Before Talks
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran is awaiting a response from the United States on its seven conditions for peace talks and dismissed reports of negotiations with Washington. Rezaei told Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV that claims of ongoing talks or a meeting in Qatar are false and that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. meets the conditions. The conditions, which have not been fully released, reportedly include lifting sanctions, ending the U.S. naval blockade, and stopping fighting on all fronts, especially Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait could reopen within two days if the demands are met and that the conflict cannot be resolved through military means or intensified sanctions. The war, now in its ninth month, has disrupted global markets and oil supplies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is open to diplomacy and that further strikes are unnecessary if economic measures achieve the same objectives. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed incidents involving two tankers, one of which was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Lima village. Maritime monitoring firms recorded at least 37 attacks on ships in and near the Strait of Hormuz in November, the highest monthly total since the war began.