Iran says Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until the US changes behaviour

Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States changes its behaviour, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has said, signalling that Tehran is maintaining a hard line over the strategic waterway.

In a message marking Journalists’ Day, Zolghadr said the Supreme National Security Council would not retreat from its position, whether in war or in negotiations, according to the Iranian news outlet Nournews.

“The Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until the United States corrects its behaviour,” Zolghadr said.

His remarks come as tensions remain high over the strategic waterway, a vital route for global energy shipments. Iran has linked a full reopening of the strait to changes in US policy, while diplomatic efforts involving Oman have sought to establish arrangements to resume maritime traffic.

The latest statement reinforces the position of hardliners in Tehran that reopening the strait is conditional on US concessions rather than simply a matter of reaching an interim shipping arrangement.

Zolghadr also stressed that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council would “never back down”, whether during military confrontation or negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central pressure point in the wider confrontation between Iran and the United States, with disruptions to shipping raising concerns over energy supplies and global markets.

Iran’s latest stance could further complicate diplomatic efforts to restore normal commercial navigation through the waterway.