Original link: Iran says deal on Strait of Hormuz is close but will not open the waterway by itself / NBC.
Iran and Oman claiming sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz sound pretty bad to me.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News' "Saturday in America" that the “Iranians have told us they have no plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz.” ... “The final thing I'll say about this... is I try to remind people that we're really in the middle of the game here. This thing is not over. It's obviously not at the beginning, we're in the middle of the game and we're applying a whole host of tools -- diplomatic, economic, military tools to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people,” Vance also said. “I feel quite confident we will get there, but we're still a bit in the middle of the game.”
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned Friday that a potential arrangement giving Iran and Oman roles in administering traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could be a “very bad outcome” for the United States. Speaking on Fox News' “America Reports,” Esper said reports indicate Tehran and Muscat are nearing an agreement that could divide passage through the strategic waterway, with a northern route into the Persian Gulf and a southern route along Oman’s coast. “They may or may not charge a fee, but they would administer and control it in one way, shape, or form, which would be a very bad outcome for us,” Esper said.
Iran laid out six demands Saturday for what it called U.S. "behavior correction" before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen, according to the country's state-run IRNA news agency. Mohammad Baqer Zulqader, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said “until America corrects its behavior, The Strait of Hormuz will not open.” Zulqader said the U.S. must stop threatening Iran and insulting what he described as the country's sanctities, end military action against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Yemen and Iraq, and lift the naval blockade. His remaining demands call for U.S. sea and air forces to withdraw from Iran, compensation for damages from two wars, the removal of sanctions against Iran and the unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets.