Monday, August 10, marks the 54th day since Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding and the 163rd day since the outbreak of the war, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining at the centre of the confrontation between Iran and the United States.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the strategic waterway would not reopen while the US naval blockade remained in place. Tehran has also demanded an end to hostilities and compensation for damage caused by the US-Israel war, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Baghaei attributed the closure to what Tehran describes as US and Israeli aggression against Iran. He called on Washington to halt and reverse what he described as its “destructive actions” before further steps could be discussed.
He also referred to a UN resolution in characterising the US blockade as an “act of aggression”.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for global energy shipments. Its continued closure has disrupted commercial shipping and increased pressure on oil markets.
Oman talks focus on safe shipping route
Despite the wider dispute, Baghaei said negotiations with Oman over transit through the Strait of Hormuz were progressing “smoothly and constructively”.
He said Tehran and Muscat had reached an understanding on a shipping traffic map, while consultations were continuing on technical points for a joint statement.
The proposed arrangements include mechanisms for safe maritime traffic, environmental protection and dealing with maritime crimes. Baghaei also said maritime services provided to vessels would involve related costs and fees.
He stressed that the discussions with Oman were strictly bilateral and technical, aimed at determining a safe route for international shipping rather than addressing political differences.
According to Baghaei, the primary objective is to establish a lasting understanding that guarantees complete security in the strait.
Iran-Pakistan ties gain importance
Baghaei said relations between Iran and Pakistan had become “even more important than before” since the war began, describing Islamabad as a key mediator.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf have been invited to Islamabad for talks. Baghaei said they would visit Pakistan “at an appropriate time”, without giving a date.
He described reciprocal visits and exchanges as a natural part of the growing relationship between the two neighbouring countries.
Baghaei also said Tehran did not believe a new security agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia was directed against Iran.
He said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement reflected growing regional awareness that the United States could not guarantee security and was itself a source of insecurity in the Middle East.
According to Baghaei, regional countries were moving towards security arrangements based on the geopolitical and historical realities of the region rather than depending solely on US power.
He also said Iran would not hold talks with Washington while the US continued to “violate the interim deal”.
Pezeshkian calls for unity amid pressure
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country would find new ways to deal with its challenges despite what he called an “enemy’s siege”, Al Jazeera reported.
“Despite the enemy’s siege, we will open new paths and our officials are working tirelessly to solve the existing problems,” Pezeshkian said.
He said he had held a seven-hour meeting with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to discuss the country’s issues, including sanctions, resilience and internal unity.
Pezeshkian said the supreme leader had recommended unity and harmony, warning that Iran’s enemies were seeking to stir divisions inside the country.
Rezaei takes charge of top security body
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei as his representative on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and named him secretary of the council.
The Supreme National Security Council is the country’s highest national security body.
Rezaei, commanded the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997, a period covering most of the Iran-Iraq war. He later held several senior political positions and served as a military adviser to the supreme leader.
Rezaei had previously spoken about Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a key point of contention in the conflict with Washington.
US tightens naval blockade
The United States has tightened its naval blockade of Iran as part of operations led by US Central Command (CENTCOM), with more than 20 warships deployed in the Middle East.
CENTCOM said in a post on X that, as of August 9, its forces had diverted 55 commercial vessels, disabled two and inspected two others to verify compliance with US sanctions and embargoes against Iran.
The operations add to pressure on commercial shipping as Tehran continues to make the lifting of the blockade a condition for reopening the waterway.
Trump: ‘Iran has no money’
US President Donald Trump shared a graph on his Truth Social account showing the decline of the Iranian rial against the US dollar.
Commenting on the currency’s fall, Trump wrote: “51 years of bad behaviour. Iran has no money.”
His remarks came as Iran faces intensified economic pressure from sanctions, the war and disruption to trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman works to contain oil spill
Separately, Oman is working to contain an oil spill off its southern coast after a tanker ran aground in June inside a protected marine area.
The Oman Environment Authority said the spill had affected roughly 390 square kilometres, with the slick concentrated around the Hallaniyat archipelago.
The area contains sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, turtle nesting sites, marine habitats and ecologically important coastal areas.
Omani authorities have carried out aerial surveillance and deployed divers to assess the situation. Officials are also developing a plan to transfer the vessel’s oil cargo to reduce the risks from the incident, maintain navigational safety and protect the marine environment.
The spill has raised concerns about biodiversity in an area designated to protect sensitive marine life, including rare sea turtles.
Oil prices rise amid Hormuz uncertainty
Oil prices remained elevated as uncertainty over the future of the Strait of Hormuz continued.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.6 per cent to USD 84.03 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, gained 0.4 per cent to USD 78.49.
The increase followed Iran’s position that an agreement with Oman on managing shipping through the strait would not by itself be sufficient to reopen the waterway.
The standoff continues to weigh on shipping and energy markets, with the future of one of the world’s key oil transit routes tied to the wider dispute between Tehran and Washington.
