Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister: Strait of Hormuz Will Remain Closed as Long as the War Continues
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that the understandings with Oman do not herald an immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and that it "will remain closed" as long as the war continues.…
Assessment
Iran's deputy foreign minister has effectively declared the Strait of Hormuz a wartime bargaining chip, not a peacetime waterway. The temporary 11-kilometer corridor and 30-to-60-day negotiation window signal that Tehran sees the strait's status as leverage to be traded for concessions on Yemen, the blockade, and broader war aims. The explicit threat against American minesweepers raises the stakes for any naval operation in the area. Watch whether Oman's mediation produces a permanent route or whether this becomes a prolonged closure that disrupts global oil shipments.