The strait will never return to its pre-war conditions
In the aftermath of war and the reopening of a waterway that carries a fifth of the world's oil, Iran and the United States met in Switzerland to negotiate not merely a ceasefire but the terms of a new order. Tehran's chief negotiator returned from those talks declaring that the Strait of Hormuz — closed, reopened, and closed again as the conflict ebbed and flowed — would henceforth be administered by Iran under international law, a claim that reframes one of the planet's most consequential passages as a matter of sovereign authority rather than shared commons. The talks have produced early movement on sanctions relief, nuclear inspections, and maritime communication lines, but the deeper question of who governs the strait, and on what terms, remains unresolved.
- Iran has used the Strait of Hormuz as a lever throughout the conflict, opening and closing it in response to battlefield developments — most recently shutting it again after Israeli strikes hit Lebanon.
- Tehran's chief negotiator is not merely asking for the strait to reopen; he is asserting that Iran will permanently administer it, a claim that would fundamentally alter the geopolitical architecture of global energy trade.
- Washington has moved to meet Iran partway, temporarily suspending oil sanctions and agreeing to a direct communication channel brokered by Qatari and Pakistani mediators to reduce the risk of maritime incidents.
- Shipping traffic through the strait accelerated on Monday, signaling that markets are already pricing in the possibility of stability — but that optimism rests on agreements that have not yet been finalized.
- Both sides describe the Swiss talks as progress, yet Ghalibaf himself acknowledged they are 'still at the beginning,' with Lebanon, sanctions relief, and asset unfreezing all still on the table.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf landed in Oman on Tuesday carrying a declaration: the Strait of Hormuz, he said, would never return to its pre-war conditions and would henceforth be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The announcement came after the first serious round of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland, aimed at ending a conflict that has reshaped the Middle East for months.
The strait had already become a weapon in the war. Iran closed it when fighting began, reopened it as early talks showed promise, then shut it again after Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Now, with negotiations resuming, both sides were working to keep it open — but Tehran was making clear it intended to be the authority that governed passage through it.
Ghalibaf described several areas of progress from the Swiss talks: movement on the strait itself, preliminary discussions about Lebanon, the prospect of oil sanctions waivers, and the possible unfreezing of Iranian assets locked away by American sanctions. The United States had already made a notable concession — Vice President JD Vance announced a temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil, tied to Tehran allowing UN nuclear inspectors back into the country. Qatari and Pakistani mediators helped establish a direct communication line between the two sides to reduce the risk of accidents in the waterway.
The economic signals were immediate. Shipping tracking firms reported that maritime traffic through the strait moved faster on Monday than it had before the war, as markets responded to the possibility of stability. For Iran, the talks offered not just restored oil revenues but the return of billions in frozen funds. For the United States and its allies, the goal was preventing one of the world's most vital trade routes from becoming a recurring flashpoint.
Yet the core question remained open: whether Iran's claim to administer the strait would be accepted, and whether the broader framework — Lebanon, sanctions, nuclear oversight — could be assembled into something durable. The strait was open again, for now, but the agreements that would determine whether it stayed that way were still being written.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stepped off a plane in Oman on Tuesday with a message for the world: the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran now, and it will stay that way. The chief negotiator had just returned from talks in Switzerland—the first serious round between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending a war that has torn through the Middle East for months. What he was announcing, in a video posted to his Telegram account, was nothing less than a redrawing of one of the planet's most critical shipping lanes.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which roughly a fifth of global oil flows, had become a weapon in this conflict. Iran closed it when fighting erupted. Then, last week, after initial negotiations showed promise, the waterway reopened. But on Saturday, after Israeli strikes hit Lebanon, Tehran shut it again. Now, with fresh talks underway, both sides were trying to find a way to keep it open—and Ghalibaf was making clear that Iran intended to control it.
"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," he said. In the same video, he outlined what he considered wins from the Swiss negotiations: progress on the strait itself, discussions about Lebanon, movement on oil sanctions waivers, and the prospect of unfreezing Iranian assets that had been locked away by American sanctions. "We believe we are still at the beginning of this work," he added, a careful acknowledgment that much remained unsettled.
The Americans had already made a significant concession. On Monday, Vice President JD Vance announced that the United States was temporarily suspending sanctions on Iranian oil—a move that signaled Washington's willingness to offer relief in exchange for Tehran allowing UN nuclear inspectors back into the country. Beyond that, both sides had agreed to something more modest but perhaps more practical: a direct line of communication designed to prevent accidents and misunderstandings as ships moved through the strait. Qatari and Pakistani mediators helped broker the arrangement, which aimed to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels.
The economic stakes were immediate and measurable. Shipping tracking firms reported that maritime traffic through the strait moved faster on Monday than it had before the war began, a sign that markets were responding to the prospect of stability. For Iran, the negotiations promised not just the restoration of oil sales but the return of billions in frozen funds—money that could ease the pressure of years of sanctions. For the United States and its allies, the priority was keeping one of the world's most vital trade routes from becoming a recurring flashpoint.
Yet Ghalibaf's language—"will be administered by the Islamic Republic"—suggested that Iran was not simply seeking to reopen the strait to international commerce. It was seeking to establish itself as the authority that governed passage through it. Whether that claim would hold, whether the Americans and their allies would accept it, and whether the broader conflict could actually be resolved remained open questions. The talks in Switzerland had produced what both sides called progress, but progress toward what, exactly, was still being negotiated. The strait was open again, for now. Whether it would stay that way depended on agreements that were still being written.
Citações Notáveis
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— Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator
We believe we are still at the beginning of this work and must continue our efforts— Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Iran's control of the strait matter so much? It's just a waterway.
It's the waterway. A fifth of the world's oil passes through it. If Iran can close it—and they just proved they can—they can strangle global energy markets. That's leverage.
So when Ghalibaf says it will be "administered by Tehran," what does that actually mean in practice?
It means Iran wants to be the gatekeeper. Not just open or closed, but deciding who passes, under what conditions, maybe even collecting fees. It's a claim to sovereignty over something that was never really theirs alone before.
The US suspended oil sanctions. That sounds like they gave up a lot.
They suspended them temporarily. It's a gesture—a way of saying we're serious about talking. But it's also a test. If Iran keeps the strait open and lets inspectors in, the suspension becomes permanent and deeper. If they don't, sanctions snap back.
What about the communication line they agreed to?
That's the real pragmatism. Both sides know accidents happen. A misidentified ship, a nervous commander, and suddenly you're back at war. A hotline prevents that. It's not trust. It's mutual interest in not stumbling into disaster.
Is this actually going to hold?
Ghalibaf himself said they're at the beginning. The strait reopened, then closed again within days. The pattern suggests fragility. These talks are real, but they're also fragile. One escalation in Lebanon, one Israeli strike, and everything could unravel again.