Hormuz to remain closed unless US meets Iran's conditions, Iranian security council says

The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as long as ‌the United ⁠States ⁠does not change its behaviour and accept Iran's conditions, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National ⁠Security Council ‌Mohsen Rezaei said ⁠on Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters.

Washington has to end ​the war and ​unfreeze Iranian funds overseas, while other conditions have ‌been transmitted to the US ​through ​mediators, Reuters quoted ⁠Rezaei as saying, citing the semi-official Tasnim news ​agency.

Also read: Trump may ditch nuclear deal plan if Tehran reopens Hormuz


Rezaei's remarks came at a time when Pakistan said that Washington and Tehran were close to "some sort" of deal, while fellow mediator Qatar said talks on managing ​the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage.

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, "Things are shaping up again in favor of a peace arrangement or a deal," adding that the signals in the last two three days are ‌that the nations are close ⁠to some sort ⁠of an arrangement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that separate ​discussions between Oman and Iran over management of the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage.