Iran said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to commercial shipping and will not reopen until the U.S. meets conditions tied to a June memorandum of understanding that has since broken down. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, named in the new report as an Iranian negotiator and identified in earlier coverage as speaker of parliament, said Tehran wants the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports lifted, Iranian assets unfrozen, sanctions ended, war compensation paid and U.S. support for attacks on Iranian allies halted. The corridor was first shut on Feb. 28, 2026 after U.S.-Israeli strikes, reopened only intermittently during ceasefires, and remained at the center of a dispute over control of the waterway after a 60-day free-passage framework in June collapsed. The prolonged disruption has pushed ship transits to record lows and intensified concern across oil and liquefied natural gas markets because roughly one-fifth of the world’s supply normally moves through the strait.