Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until the United States meets seven Iranian conditions set out in a June interim agreement between Tehran and Washington, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declared on Sunday, October 4, 2026. The ultimatum lands days after Tehran received Washington's reply to its latest diplomatic proposal — and as tankers keep getting hit in the region's waters.
Qalibaf's Ultimatum: Seven Conditions, No Reopening
Quoted by Iran's Nournews and reported by Reuters, Qalibaf accused Washington of stalling through the media while putting forward fresh proposals through a mediator.
"The Americans, who say something different in the media, have recently put forward proposals through a mediator. But they must understand that the period of dragging out the process and dictating one-sided demands is over. The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm, and the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are met."
The statement came days after Tehran received an official U.S. response to its latest proposal for ending the conflict, with indirect discussions continuing through regional mediators including Qatar and Pakistan, according to Khaama Press.
The Islamabad Memorandum: What's Behind the Seven Demands
The interim deal — the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding — was signed by the U.S. and Iran in June following mediation by Pakistan after months of conflict. Per Arab News, it included a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, a timetable for a final deal on the war and Iran's nuclear program, and a major concession allowing Tehran to sell its oil freely.
Earlier Reuters reporting said Iran's conditions have included lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, removing oil sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending U.S. threats and military operations against Iran. Tehran has maintained its grip on the strait since the U.S. launched its war on Iran in late February, while Washington continues a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
Araqchi's Seven-Day Offer: Reopening Within a Week
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi struck a parallel note Sunday, telling foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran that a plan put forward by Iran during the UN General Assembly could see the strait reopen within seven days if Washington accepts Tehran's conditions, per GMA News. The U.S. replied to that proposal last week via Qatari intermediaries.
Araqchi said Iran preferred diplomacy but warned Tehran was ready if Washington chose force again: "If they again move towards military solutions, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves."
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei added that Tehran's focus at this stage is the strait itself, not nuclear talks — and denied Iran had offered UN nuclear watchdog inspections of its nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters: Tankers Hit, Oil at Risk
The stakes are global. Before the U.S. and Israel-led war began on February 28, about a fifth of the world's oil supplies moved through the strait. This weekend brought fresh violence: Times Now reports a crude oil tanker was hit by an unknown projectile east of Oman on Saturday, and a second tanker was struck Sunday inside the Strait of Hormuz with damage to its engine room. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported explosions near a tanker off Yemen's coast, while Iran-aligned Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on a Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh.
Takeaway
Iran has tied the world's most important oil chokepoint to a diplomatic price list — seven conditions, anchored to the June Islamabad deal — and says the era of one-sided demands is over. Araqchi's seven-day reopening offer shows the door is ajar, but with tankers taking hits and both sides dug in, the waterway that carried a fifth of the world's oil is unlikely to flow freely anytime soon.
Watch: Full briefing: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei details conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (Oct 4, 2026) — DRM News video of the Tehran briefing where Iran reaffirmed its "Seven-Day Plan" for the strait.
Sources
- Reuters — Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met
- GMA News — Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met
- Arab News — Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met under Islamabad MoU
- Times Now — Oil routes face fresh threats as tankers hit near Strait of Hormuz