Iran says Strait of Hormuz stays closed except under its own terms

WASHINGTON, United States — Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and can be reopened only under arrangements set by Tehran, according to Iranian state-linked reporting. He said a 7-mile-wide transit corridor agreed with Oman is a temporary line and that negotiations with Muscat on a permanent route are continuing. Gharibabadi said the joint corridor's entry into use means the southern corridor has been closed and that technical talks are under way on an alternative route. He said negotiations on regional governance would take 30 to 60 days and that the understanding with Oman is the first to reference security issues and the prevention of threats. He delivered a message to the United States and other countries that the strait would not be opened outside Iranian arrangements, and said Iran has tools to respond to possible U.S. steps. Gharibabadi added that, once Washington fulfills its commitments, Iran would begin implementing its own obligations in less than a day. U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is monitoring every point of the Strait of Hormuz, that the Navy has cleared naval mines, and that any boats or ships laying new mines would be destroyed immediately.