Iranian Official Proposes Conditions for Opening the Strait of Hormuz: Compensation for War Losses from Past Shipping Taxes

On April 5, according to China Central Television News, Mehdi Tabatabai, the deputy director of the Iranian president’s office for news and communications, made a strong statement regarding the regional situation and the passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Tabatabai fiercely criticized U.S. President Trump and his policies on social media, accusing him of resorting to insults out of ‘desperation and anger’ and claiming that his reckless actions have triggered a full-scale war in the region. Regarding the control of the Strait of Hormuz, Tabatabai stated that the strait would only be fully reopened after a new legal framework is established and past shipping tax revenues are used to compensate Iran for all losses incurred during previous wars. Additionally, CNN reported that details of a ‘possible plan’ being discussed between Oman and Iran regarding the resumption of passage rights through the Strait of Hormuz are emerging. An Omani source indicated that negotiations have been ongoing for about two weeks, focusing on creating a ‘safe passage agreement’ to restore commercial shipping. This plan would require oil and gas transport vessels passing through the Strait to register with Iran and agree to fly the flags of non-hostile nations. This effectively means acknowledging Iran’s jurisdiction over this strategic waterway. These proposals are seen as one of Oman’s last efforts to avoid further escalation of war, having previously acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. However, the source noted that pushing the agreement under wartime conditions is ‘extremely difficult,’ adding that the best solution remains an immediate ceasefire. According to PolyBeats monitoring, the probability of ‘the Strait of Hormuz resuming navigation this month’ on the prediction market Polymarket has dropped to 12%.