Iran Threatens New Attacks While Awaiting US Response on Strait of Hormuz

Iran has recently threatened to attack infrastructure across the Middle East as it waits for a formal response from the United States regarding its plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This announcement comes after Tehran’s foreign minister stated he expects an answer from US officials soon.

On July 12, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at neighboring countries in retaliation for US strikes that followed an attack on a merchant vessel. Although fighting has calmed in recent weeks, Iran has continued to target ships in the strait.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, warned that if Iran’s security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure in the region would be safe. He stated, “In a region where we cannot sell oil, no one else will sell oil either.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, mentioned that Qatari intermediaries have presented ideas for negotiations and hope to receive a US response soon. He emphasized that reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on certain conditions being met.

Among Iran’s demands are a seven-day ceasefire across the Middle East, the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad, lifting sanctions on its oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade on its ports. The US military has been maintaining a counterblockade to prevent Iran from exporting oil.

Both Iran and the US claim control over the Strait of Hormuz. While the US states that oil is still moving through the strait, Iran insists that it remains closed. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have declared that any vessel attempting to pass through is at risk of being attacked or hitting a mine.