IRGC says Hormuz Strait will not be opened if US refuses to accept Iran's conditions

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened if the United States does not accept Iran's conditions, according to the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi told reporters that the strategic waterway remains under Iranian control and no vessel can pass through it without Iran's permission.

"All the enemy warships are at least 400 km away from the Strait of Hormuz, and from the military and territorial perspectives, no vessel is able to pass through this waterway without Iran's permission and management," Mohebbi said, adding that even the route near Oman is fully under Iranian control. He also underlined that the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and Oman.

He said that Iran and Oman have reached agreements on their respective shares of the strait and its revenues following negotiations.

Mohebbi blamed US "obstructionism" for delaying the negotiation process, noting that if Washington returns to compliance with the peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with Iran in June, "we can open the Strait of Hormuz within the agreed framework." 

"Therefore, the United States must accept our conditions. If the United States does not accept our conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened under any circumstance," he added.

In a joint statement on Tuesday night, Iran and Oman announced that they have discussed a phased framework that includes the establishment of a temporary joint shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint demining project.

The statement said that technical negotiations will continue towards a permanent shipping corridor and the future administration of the waterway, including information exchange, traffic management, and relevant navigation and security services.

The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz comes amid a broader standoff between Tehran and Washington, with tensions playing out on multiple fronts, from economic pressure and diplomatic negotiations to the prospect of further military escalation.

Iran calls on UN to condemn US 'economic terrorism'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the United Nations to condemn what he described as Washington's illegal campaign of "economic terrorism" against Iran, referring to it as "Operation Economic Outcast."

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the Security Council and UN member states, Araghchi said the US campaign was aimed at disrupting Iran's lawful economic ties with other countries through threats of secondary sanctions and exclusion from the US financial system. The letter was published on Wednesday on his Telegram channel.

He argued that the measures represented an attempt by Washington to impose its domestic laws and foreign-policy goals beyond its borders and pressure sovereign nations into changing their legitimate trade relations with Iran.

Araghchi said the UN and its member states now faced a crucial choice: whether to uphold the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and countries' sovereign rights, or yield to what he called US unilateralism and coercion.

Iran also urged Guterres to examine and report on the humanitarian and human rights impact of the measures, particularly their effects on access to food, medicine, healthcare, energy, transportation and humanitarian aid.

Araghchi added that Tehran reserved the right to seek accountability, compensation and other forms of redress for damages caused by the US campaign.

The same day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the United States would not achieve anything through its economic pressure against Iran.

He made the remarks at a meeting in the capital Tehran to discuss the latest developments in Iran's major monetary, foreign exchange and financial indicators. Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Seyed Ali Madanizadeh, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati and a group of prominent economists attended the meeting, according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Pezeshkian said that although Iran seeks to resolve issues through engagement and negotiation, it will continue to stand firm against economic pressure, as it has done so far.

He expressed confidence that the United States would not achieve anything through its economic pressure at this stage, citing preparations made by his administration's economic sectors. He said this would be similar to the 40-day war, when the Iranian armed forces and people prevented the United States from attaining its objectives through their bravery and support.

Trump says he's 'not in a hurry' for Iran to return to talks

US President Donald Trump said he has "no time schedule" for when he expects Iran to return to the negotiating table to end the conflict.

"I have no time schedule, none. I'm not in a hurry. I have no time schedule at all," Trump told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, when asked how long he was willing to wait for Tehran to resume talks.

"We are winning very big," he added.

Asked whether economic pressure was more effective than military action, Trump said both approaches were effective.

Friday will mark six months since the US and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran. Trump's latest remarks contrast with his earlier predictions that the conflict would be relatively short. After the conflict began on February 28, he repeatedly suggested it could end in weeks.

(With input from Xinhua)