Iran Calls the US Strait of Hormuz Reply “Insufficient” – The Iranians, still playing the stalling game, just moved the goalposts again.
On Sunday, Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state media that Washington’s response to Iran’s seven conditions (demands) for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was “insufficient,” Reuters reported.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team commander and pilot, flies during a demonstration rehearsal at Hill Air Force Utah, April 28, 2021. The F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team is part of the first operational F-35A wing for the Air Force, the 388th Fighter Wing, and flies over the Hill Air Force Base runway to practice and prepare for upcoming air shows around the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Kip Sumner)
U.S. Air Force Maj. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, pilot of the F-35A Demonstration Team, performs aerial maneuvers at the Sun ‘n Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida, April 4, 2025. The demonstration team showcases the skill and precision U.S. Air Force pilots and aircraft are capable of. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)
He added that Iran is done responding to the Americans. The White House hasn’t immediately answered Reuters’ request for comment.
Iran’s bold stance isn’t surprising despite the fact that the country’s ports are still under a US naval blockade. However, it fits the pattern Tehran has followed since the mid-June memorandum between Washington and Tehran fell apart roughly three weeks after it was signed, and both sides went back to trading strikes.
What Iran Put On The Table
Iran floated its plan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month. On paper, it was simple. Meet seven conditions, and Tehran would restore normal shipping through the strait within seven days.
However, nothing with the regime is ever simple. The IRGC began firing on shipping in the Strait mere days after the June MoU was signed.
As Reuters laid it out, if the US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports, Iran would reopen the waterway. Qatari mediators shuttled between the two delegations in New York, the first proximity talks since the ceasefire came apart.
President Trump publicly dismissed the offer, saying Iran was “losing so badly” and calling the deal unacceptable. Washington sent a formal reply through Doha anyway. A non-Iranian official briefed on the talks told Reuters that both sides largely agree on the steps needed. They disagree on the order.
For those keeping score at home, that’s the whole ballgame. In any deal like this, sequencing is leverage. Whoever moves first is at a disadvantage.
The Status Quo Is Gone, According To Tehran
Rezaei’s post on X was more detailed than Iran’s state media coverage.
He stated that the US had agreed to some of the seven conditions; however, he then declared there would be “no return to the status quo ante.”
He didn’t say which demands Washington accepted. According to reporting compiled by the Daily Jagran, the conditions center on ending the naval blockade and lifting restrictions on Iranian oil sales.
However, the real sticking point isn’t on that list. Reuters has reported that Iran wants any eventual deal to give it control over the strait itself.
That includes charging fees.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called that unacceptable in May, and Washington’s position hasn’t softened since.
Last week in Athens, Rubio said Iran had squandered multiple opportunities to reach an agreement.
Rezaei also told Press TV that Iran threatened to expand its target list beyond oil shipping to include undersea telecom cables, data centers, and AI facilities built by American companies across the region, which he valued at more than $2 trillion, La Voce di New York reported.
He also claimed that payments to ship captains running the southern routes along Oman’s coastline have jumped from $10,000 to $15,000 per voyage to more than $100,000.
Leverage Cuts Both Ways
So why is Tehran acting like it holds the stronger hand? Part of it is the calendar. Trump posted on Truth Social that the US won’t attack Iran before the November 3 midterms.
That was a mistake. Announcing a no-strike window hands an adversary three weeks of free maneuver room, and the IRGC can read a calendar as well as anyone.
Part of it is the proxies. Yemen’s Houthis have escalated their missile campaign against Saudi Arabia, hitting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, badly damaging a plane and killing more than a dozen people last week. That’s pressure on the Gulf partners Washington needs in its corner.
However, Iran’s leverage is a wasting asset. The USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on September 27 and is headed toward the region. And Tehran is clearly nervous about being bypassed.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei complained that Washington tried to open a southern route through Omani waters, which he called a threat to Iran’s national security. Those detours won’t be short-term, as no one trusts this regime to follow any agreement.
However, the Strait carried 20 percent of the world’s oil and LNG before the war, and every week that the flow is curtailed, the bill lands on everyone, Iran included. And despite their bold proclamations, they are in a terrible economic position.
Tehran offered seven conditions in seven days. Washington reportedly met some of them. Iran said it wasn’t enough.
It never will be.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
