Options in Iran Are Bad War or Bad Deal
Iran Won’t Reopen Strait of Hormuz without US Concessions
Trump claims Hormuz Strait open, seeks Iranian compensation
- President Donald Trump says the United States will seek compensation from Iran for casualties in the war. The move came days after Tehran demanded that Washington pay for damages from the five-month conflict as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei conveyed a message of unity during a recent seven-hour meeting. Pezeshkian confirmed that Khamenei is in perfect health despite making no public appearances since taking power.
- Khamenei’s office has announced several new key appointments, including naming a former wartime commander and veteran political insider to head the nation’s highest security body.
Iran and Oman appear close to an agreement on how ships will navigate the Strait of Hormuz, but the broader dispute over fully reopening the waterway remains unresolved.
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the two sides have agreed on the geographical parameters of a shipping route and are working through the remaining technical issues. A joint statement is also being prepared.
- Baghaei pointed out that talks were progressing constructively, but he warned that an agreement with Oman alone would not make the strait safe. Oman has similarly described the negotiations as “positive and constructive,” while warning against actions that could undermine the progress.
- Transit fees are not currently under negotiation, though discussions do cover services such as safe navigation, environmental protection, and maritime monitoring, according to Tehran.
- The primary obstacle remains sequencing. Washington says it will lift its blockade of Iranian ports once unhindered commercial shipping is restored and Iran fulfils its commitments. Tehran, however, maintains that reopening depends on US concessions, including compensation as well as the lifting of sanctions and the naval blockade.
- Shipping traffic remains far below normal: Only 33 vessels transited the strait between August 3 and 6, compared with roughly 130 to 140 daily crossings before the war.