Iran sets fresh Strait of Hormuz terms as Middle East tensions widen

Iran linked any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to sweeping US concessions as regional frictions sharpened. The standoff deepened pressure on shipping, while Yemen and Turkiye opened new fronts in an already volatile region.

In Short

• Iran demanded sanctions relief, compensation and US withdrawal before reopening
• Oman-mediated talks continued, while separate navigation arrangements with Iran neared agreement
• The UAE accused Tehran of striking an ADNOC vessel in transit

Several developments unfolded across the Middle East on Saturday, with Iran setting new conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates accusing Tehran of targeting one of its vessels, Yemen's military launching attacks on the Iran-backed Houthis, and Turkiye moving ahead with a Kurdish peace measure in parliament.

The developments came as talks over the strategic waterway remained unresolved and regional tensions continued on multiple fronts. Turkiye also said a new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was not directed at any third country.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until the United States "corrects its behaviour". In a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster, the council's secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, said the US must never threaten Iran again, must permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region, lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw its military from the area, "completely compensate" Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and "unconditionally" release frozen assets. There was no immediate US response. Under an interim deal signed in June, the timetable for ending sanctions and planning compensation was to be part of a final agreement, while negotiations were also to address frozen assets. A 60-day window to reach a final deal will end in just over a week, though it could be extended.

Iran has also said it was close to a separate agreement with Oman on managing the strait, which lies between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said they were close to an agreement on navigation, "specifically the determination of a transit route". But he said reopening the waterway depended on other conditions and blamed the situation on what he called a US violation of the interim deal. Oman, which has been mediating, said the talks were continuing "in a positive and constructive atmosphere" and condemned attacks on ships in the strait. The waterway, vital for global oil and natural gas supplies, had been considered an international waterway before the war, though ship movement remains low.

Earlier on Saturday, the UAE said a vessel owned by Abu Dhabi's state-run ADNOC was attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and its Foreign Ministry said Iran had fired the missile as part of attacks on commercial shipping. ADNOC said there were no casualties in the early morning attack, but said more than a dozen of its vessels had come under missile and drone attacks in the strait since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. It said one crew member had been killed and 20 others wounded. The company did not give details of the location or damage. Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said a vessel east of Khasab in Oman had been hit by a projectile, causing a fire that was later put out, with the vessel and crew safe. It was not clear if that was the same incident.

In Turkiye, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a defence agreement signed on Friday by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye was not aimed at any third country, even though it states that an attack on one would be treated as an attack on all three. Fidan told Anadolu Agency: "We don't have anything written down - nothing we've signed - that defines a common threat." He said any member seeking help would have to make a formal request, and support from the other two countries could range from intelligence-sharing and logistics support to the deployment of military units. He also said the mechanism would have a secretariat based in Saudi Arabia. Fidan added that other countries had shown interest in joining and said he expected Egypt, which he called a "natural partner", to take part "at the next stage".

In Yemen, the country's military said it had attacked the Houthis in response to the rebel group's recent strikes in central and eastern Yemen. Military spokesperson Col. Majed al-Nazili said the attacks targeted the Houthis' "sites and capabilities" across several front lines, without giving further details. The escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-supported coalition, has raised the risk of renewed civil war despite a 2022 truce.

Also on Saturday, a Turkish draft law intended to advance peace efforts with Kurdish insurgents cleared its first step in parliament, with a committee approving the measure. It is expected to go to the general assembly next week. The bill sets out procedures for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and the rehabilitation of some of its members. The measures would take effect once Turkiye's National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons. Last year, the PKK said it had decided to disarm and disband as part of an effort to end its decades-long conflict with the Turkish state. The conflict, which began in the 1980s, has killed tens of thousands of people.

Overall, Saturday's developments underscored continuing strain across the region, from stalled negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on shipping to renewed military action in Yemen and political moves in Turkiye on both defence cooperation and the Kurdish peace process.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends