Iran signals messages exchanged linking Hormuz reopening to sanctions relief

A senior Iranian source says Tehran and Washington have traded messages tying access through the Strait of Hormuz to an easing of sanctions and siege conditions.

A senior Iranian source says messages have passed between Tehran and Washington linking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to relief from sanctions and siege conditions. The exchange marks a shift from Iran's earlier position, when an Iranian official said the strait would stay shut until Tehran's conditions were met and ruled out any nuclear talks or concessions.

The same senior Iranian source has separately said a return to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding is possible, a further sign that Tehran's public stance has softened. In New York, sources in Tehran have described the talks as more detailed and increasingly positive, and Iran's delegation received US visas after an initial denial, with Qatari experts joining as the discussions entered a technical phase. Iranian President Pezeshkian has said Iran's talks with Kushner and Whittaker centred on Iran's rights under international law, and that Tehran is asking for nothing beyond that.

Washington's posture has looked less urgent. A US official said the country is in a strong position and controls the Strait of Hormuz, so feels no pressure to strike a deal, and another US official said nearly 40 million barrels crossed the strait in 48 hours. Centcom has said it redirected 122 vessels enforcing the Iran blockade.

Iran linking Hormuz access to sanctions relief, rather than making the strait's status a unilateral demand, points to negotiating movement beyond rhetoric. Against a backdrop in which Tehran had insisted the strait stay closed until its terms were met, the shift toward a transactional exchange supports the bullish oil pricing that has already followed the talks.