Iran Says US Reply to Hormuz Conditions Remains Insufficient

Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday that the United States response to Iran's seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was insufficient. Rezaei added that Iran is no longer in the process of responding to the Americans.

The statement follows months of naval blockade enforcement by U.S. forces and related incidents in the Gulf of Oman and the strait. U.S. Central Command reported disabling a commercial vessel attempting to run the blockade on October 10. Iranian officials have linked the conditions to the broader conflict that has also involved Houthi attacks on Saudi targets and U.S. airstrikes.

The Strait of Hormuz carries a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Disruptions have contributed to elevated energy prices, including U.S. diesel averaging above $6 per gallon. Saudi Arabia has faced direct attacks on its airports and reported strikes on Aramco facilities claimed by the Houthis.

Rezaei's remarks indicate that diplomatic exchanges on reopening the waterway have stalled from Tehran's perspective. No public text of the seven conditions or the U.S. reply has been released. The Pentagon's updated casualty figures of 21 killed and 865 wounded in related operations provide one measure of the military costs incurred so far.

Shipping companies continue to reroute or delay vessels. Insurance rates for Gulf transits remain elevated. Any movement toward reopening will require either a change in the stated Iranian conditions or a shift in U.S. terms. Until then, the partial closure of the strait continues to constrain supply routes that serve both Asian and European buyers.

The next public signal will likely come from either further Iranian statements or U.S. naval updates on interdiction activity. The gap between the two sides' positions remains the central obstacle to restoring normal commercial traffic.