Hormuz Strait Remains Closed as Iran States Final Deal is Distant Amidst Negotiations

The Strait of Hormuz stayed shut on Sunday amidst the ongoing standoff between Iran and the United States. Iran's parliament speaker suggested that a final peace agreement was still a considerable distance away, even as negotiations showed some progress.

Following high-level discussions in Pakistan that did not yield a breakthrough, Iran communicated that the critical shipping lane would not be reopened until the U.S. ended its blockade of Iranian ports. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, remarked during a televised address on Saturday evening that while there had been "progress" with Washington, "there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain."

Ghalibaf, who has been a senior negotiator for Tehran, stated, "We are still far from the final discussion." These talks are aimed at concluding the conflict initiated by Israel and the United States against Iran.

A two-week ceasefire is scheduled to expire on Wednesday, unless it is extended. U.S. President Donald Trump commented that "very good conversations" were in progress with Iran, but he cautioned Tehran against attempting to "blackmail" the United States.

On Friday, Iran had announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes. This announcement followed an agreement for a temporary ceasefire intended to halt Israel's conflict with Iran's ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. The news initially led to a surge in global markets and a drop in oil prices. However, Tehran reversed its decision after Trump reiterated that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would persist until a comprehensive deal was reached.

"If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited," Ghalibaf asserted. President Trump characterized Iran's recent actions as "getting a little cute" and warned Tehran against trying to "blackmail" Washington with its fluctuating stance on the strait.

"We have very good conversations going on," Trump told reporters at the White House, emphasizing that the United States was "taking a tough stand."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning, stating that any attempt to transit the strait without authorization "will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted."

Data from shipping trackers indicated that a small number of oil and gas tankers passed through the strait early on Saturday during its brief reopening. However, other vessels turned back, and by late afternoon, very few ships were seen traversing the waterway. On Sunday morning, the entrance to the Gulf appeared inactive, with no shipping traffic visible in the strait according to tracking data.

The previous day witnessed three separate incidents highlighting the risks associated with attempted passage. The UK Maritime Security Agency reported that the Revolutionary Guards fired upon one tanker. Security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech stated that the force had threatened to "destroy" an empty cruise ship attempting to leave the Gulf. In a third incident, the UK agency received a report of a vessel being "hit by an unknown projectile, which caused damage" to shipping containers, although no fire ensued.

The Indian foreign ministry announced it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to lodge a protest regarding a "shooting incident" involving two Indian- flagged ships in the strait.

Optimism over final agreement

On the diplomatic front, Egypt, which has been engaged in mediation alongside Pakistan, expressed optimism on Saturday. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that Cairo and Islamabad were hopeful of securing a final agreement "in the coming days."

A primary point of contention remains Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, which is close to weapons-grade. President Trump claimed on Friday that Iran had agreed to relinquish its approximately 440 kilograms of enriched uranium, adding, "We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators."

However, Iran's foreign ministry has countered that the stockpile, believed to be stored deep underground from damage incurred during the U.S. bombing in a previous conflict, "is not going to be transferred anywhere" and that its surrender "to the U.S. has never been raised in negotiations."

On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian questioned Iran's obligation to relinquish its "legal right" to a nuclear program. A statement from the Iranian presidency inquired, "How come the U.S. president declares that Iran should not use its nuclear rights but does not say why?" and added, "How in the world is he trying to deprive a nation of its legal rights?"

The conflict in the Middle East began on February 28 with extensive U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, despite ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran at the time. The war quickly escalated across the region, with Iran targeting neighboring Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases. Additionally, Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the conflict by launching rockets into Israel.