Tehran said on Tuesday that its intent is to maintain control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, a crucial question in the Middle East war talks with Washington that just wrapped up in Switzerland.
Vice President JD Vance called the negotiations a “very good foundation” for a final deal to end the conflict, noting on Monday that Washington suspended sanctions on Iranian oil.
But critical questions like Iran’s nuclear programme and Hormuz, a major conduit for the world’s oil supply, have not been resolved despite an initial deal between Washington and Tehran.
Technical talks that followed higher-level negotiations in Switzerland have concluded, with working groups to be set up on nuclear issues and sanctions, Iran’s state media reported Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump has demanded an unconditional reopening of Hormuz to marine traffic, but Iran again pushed back fiercely.
“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law,” Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, state media reported Tuesday.
The Strait of Hormuz had reopened last week, after Washington and Tehran reached an agreement, but Tehran announced on Saturday it had closed it again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
