US must fulfill commitments before Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz: Parliament speaker

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday that the US must fulfill its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding before Tehran moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Americans must fulfill their commitments so that we can proceed with reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” Qalibaf said during a meeting in Tehran with Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official responsible for Islamic relations, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Referring to negotiations between Iran and the US, Qalibaf said Tehran does not reject diplomacy but considers negotiations a tool in its broader struggle.

“We do not reject negotiations, but negotiations are a tool for the struggle,” he said, adding that abandoning confrontation with the US and Israel in its various forms would amount to “defeat.”

Qalibaf also referred to the Islamabad memorandum between Tehran and Washington, saying its first provision emphasized an end to the war against Iran and its allies in what Tehran calls the “resistance front.”

He claimed that the US side had initially presented a 15-point proposal seeking a complete halt to Iran’s missile and nuclear activities as well as its support for allied groups in the region.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad on June 18 following mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, setting out provisions related to ending hostilities, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and further negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian officials have since accused Washington of failing to implement its commitments and have linked the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to US compliance with the agreement.

Tehran has maintained restrictions on navigation through the strategic waterway, which connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for global energy shipments.

Iranian officials have said their conditions include sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to military operations against Iran and its regional allies.

In late August, Iranian officials said Tehran and Oman were discussing arrangements for maritime transit through the strait, while stressing that the arrangements did not amount to a full reopening of the waterway.