Hormuz Strait to remain shut until U.S. meets interim deal conditions, Iran says

By Reuters

DUBAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the U.S. meets the conditions ​of an interim deal signed with Iran in June, the top ‌Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments published by state media on Tuesday.

These conditions include ​the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting ​oil sanctions, releasing Tehran's frozen assets, and ending threats and military ⁠operations on all fronts, Qalibaf told parliament.

The ​memorandum of understanding, clinched on June 17, quickly ​unravelled over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth ​of global oil and liquefied natural gas ​flowed before the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the ‌deal ⁠was "over" on July 7 and a week later Iran's foreign ministry declared it "suspended".

Under the MoU, Iran and the U.S. had committed to ​negotiating a final ​deal — ⁠covering broader issues such as the fate of Iran's nuclear programme — in ​a maximum of 60 days, extendable ​by mutual ⁠consent.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Iran would now shift to a "fully offensive" posture ⁠due ​to the stalled diplomatic ​efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict.

Reporting by Elwely ​Elwelly; Editing by Michael Georgy and Gareth Jones