After Meeting US, Iran Claims Full Control over Strait of Hormuz
Iran has asserted that the Strait of Hormuz will be under Tehran’s management and will not return to conditions before the war. The statement was made by Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, following negotiations with the United States in Switzerland, which also addressed the future of the vital shipping lane.
In the first round of talks held in Switzerland on Monday (22/6), Iran and the United States agreed to build a communication channel to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and to end the fighting in Lebanon.
“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to pre-war conditions and will be managed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law,” Ghalibaf said upon returning from the meeting, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (23/6/2026).
In a video uploaded to his Telegram account, Ghalibaf stated that the negotiations, which took place at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, resulted in several important advances. “In my view, the trip yielded good achievements, especially regarding the discussions on the Strait of Hormuz, discussions on Lebanon, the issue of oil exemptions, and the matter of unfreezing blocked funds,” the Iranian parliamentary speaker said.
Washington has temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil after Vice President JD Vance indicated that Tehran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return to the country following the talks. As part of the agreement, Tehran will also receive some forms of sanctions relief from Washington, including the release of previously frozen assets. “Of course, we believe we are still at the beginning of this work and must continue our efforts,” Ghalibaf added in the video.
Iranian state media reported that Ghalibaf also made a stop in Oman, a country that shares the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway was initially closed by Iran at the start of the war. The Strait of Hormuz was reopened last week after Washington and Tehran reached an agreement. However, Tehran announced the strait’s closure again on Saturday in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Following the meeting in Switzerland, Tehran and Washington finally agreed to establish a communication channel to avoid incidents and miscommunication in order to secure the shipping route, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.