Qalibaf: Hormuz Strait Will Remain Closed Until 'Iran's Conditions Are Met'

According to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Sunday that Iran "will not open the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and American obligations are fulfilled."

Qalibaf said Iran must fight and negotiate simultaneously, adding that Tehran "will use military force to deter its enemies, and diplomacy to consolidate gains on the battlefield when the time is right."

This comes despite a Saturday statement by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper, who announced that the United States has secured the passage of one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months.

Cooper highlighted CENTCOM's assistance in securing the transit of more than 2,000 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz by providing coordinated protection, while affirming that Iran has been unable to export any barrel of oil due to the "U.S. maritime blockade."