Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced Saturday it won't reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States "corrects its behavior," issuing a sweeping list of demands that includes permanent withdrawal of U.S. military forces from the region and full war damage compensation. The statement, published by Iran's state broadcaster and delivered by council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr—a Revolutionary Guard commander—marks a significant hardening of Tehran's position as negotiations on a final deal approach a critical deadline in just over a week.
The demands go far beyond the interim agreement signed this year. Iran wants the U.S. to never threaten it again, permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies, lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdraw all military forces from the area, "completely compensate" Iran for war damage, lift sanctions, and "unconditionally" release frozen assets. There was no immediate U.S. comment. The U.S. has sought an acceptable deal on the strait before ending the blockade. Under the interim deal signed in June, a schedule to end sanctions and a compensation plan would be part of the final deal, with negotiations addressing frozen assets. The 60-day negotiation period ends in just over a week, though it could be extended.
The Security Picture
Iran's negotiating posture came as the United Arab Emirates reported one of its vessels was targeted by an Iranian missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned ADNOC oil and gas company was attacked early Saturday, Emirati authorities said. The Foreign Ministry said Iran fired the missile as part of attacks on commercial shipping. ADNOC reported no casualties but said over a dozen of its vessels have been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the strait since the United States and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. One crew member has been killed and 20 others wounded, the company said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center later reported a vessel east of the town of Khasab, Oman, had been struck by a projectile that caused a fire that was put out, with the vessel and crew safe. It wasn't clear whether that was the ADNOC incident. The strait is crucial to global supplies of oil and natural gas and had been considered an international waterway before the war.
Iran said it was close to reaching a separate deal with Oman to manage the strait, which runs between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier Saturday they were close to reaching an agreement on navigation, "specifically the determination of a transit route." He said the waterway's reopening was contingent on other conditions. Oman, which has acted as a mediator, said in a statement Saturday that discussions were ongoing "in a positive and constructive atmosphere" and condemned attacks on ships on the strait.
Yemen's Escalating Conflict
Yemen's military said its attacks on the Houthi rebels were in response to the rebels' recent strikes in central and eastern Yemen. Col. Majed al-Nazili, spokesperson for Yemen's military, said the attacks targeted the rebels' "sites and capabilities" on multiple front lines, without elaborating. The escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government and its backer, a Saudi-supported coalition, threatens to reignite Yemen's civil war following a truce reached four years ago in 2022.
The renewed military action underscores the fragility of Yemen's peace process and the continued influence of Iran's proxy network across the region. The Houthis remain one of Tehran's most capable armed allies, with demonstrated ability to strike maritime targets and destabilize the Arabian Peninsula.
Turkey's Kurdish Peace Process
In Turkey, a draft law aimed at advancing a peace effort with the country's Kurdish insurgents passed its first hurdle in parliament on Saturday. A committee approved the measure, and it's expected to be approved in the general assembly next week. One year ago, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, declared its decision to disarm and disband as part of the peace initiative aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with the Turkish state.
The draft legislation defines the procedures for the group's disarmament and rehabilitation of some PKK members. The measures would come into effect once Turkey's National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since it began decades ago in the 1980s. Turkey and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization.
Why This Matters:
Iran's expanded demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz reveal the strategic bind facing U.S. policymakers: economic pressure through the strait's closure gives Tehran leverage to extract concessions that would fundamentally reshape the regional security architecture. The ongoing attacks on Emirati vessels demonstrate Iran's willingness to use force against commercial shipping even as negotiations continue. Yemen's renewed fighting threatens to collapse a fragile truce and reignite a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, while the Houthis' continued military capability shows how Iran's proxy network remains intact despite years of coalition military pressure. Turkey's progress on Kurdish disarmament offers a rare example of a decades-long conflict moving toward resolution through negotiated surrender of weapons—a model that stands in stark contrast to the continued militancy of Iranian-backed groups across the region. The convergence of these flashpoints within days underscores the Middle East's persistent instability and the challenges facing any effort to establish durable security arrangements.