IRGC says Hormuz reopening hinges on US, not Oman talks

Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared Saturday that reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on the United States accepting Iran's specific conditions and is unrelated to ongoing Iran-Oman negotiations, complicating what had appeared to be a diplomatic breakthrough just a day earlier.

"The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is subject to the specific mechanisms and conditions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is not related to the negotiations between Iran and Oman," IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency as reported by Reuters.reuters

The statement came hours after a U.S. official on Friday expressed optimism that progress between Iran and Oman could soon restore commercial shipping through the waterway, which normally carries 20% of the world's oil but has seen traffic plummet during the five-month-old U.S.-Iran war.jpost+1

Attack on ADNOC Vessel Underscores Tensions

The IRGC's hardline stance was punctuated by violence in the strait itself. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said one of its vessels was targeted by a missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday, with no injuries reported, according to the UAE's state news agency WAM. The United Arab Emirates condemned the attack in a statement Saturday afternoon.jpost

ADNOC had said on Thursday that attacks on its vessels and staff were "significantly impacting operations."marketscreener

Compromise May Be Required

An Associated Press analysis published Friday noted that any deal may require President Trump to do something "out of character — compromise." Iran insists on retaining some measure of control over the strait, while the Trump administration has firmly opposed any arrangement involving Iranian fees or restrictions on passage.english.ahram

Vessel traffic through the strait rose to 84 transits last week, up from 45 the week before, but remains far below the more than 700 transits typical before the crisis, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.english.ahram

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a 30- to 60-day ceasefire with Iran could come "within days," potentially lowering energy prices. But the IRGC's statement Saturday signals Tehran is unwilling to let Oman negotiate on its behalf, keeping Washington's path to reopening the strait uncertain.iranintl

"He divides the world into winners and losers, and this would make him a loser," said Eliot Cohen, a former State Department counselor in the George W. Bush administration, describing why concessions would be difficult for Trump.english.ahram