Iranian official: Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until U.S. meets terms of defunct memorandum

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times - Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated Tuesday that the Islamic regime’s forces will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the U.S. fulfills its obligations under the defunct Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Mr. Ghalibaf specified in a public address that the strait will stay closed until Washington agrees to remove its naval blockade, unfreeze billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets, ease sanctions and halt military operations on all fronts.

Those demands are consistent with the terms laid out in the memorandum, signed by the U.S. and Iran in June. However, the deal is dead after the two sides returned to war last month following Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The speaker’s comments are consistent with the demands from other Iranian officials over the past month. However, Mr. Ghalibaf’s decision to couch the demands as a return to the memorandum suggests an openness to diplomacy not found among regime hardliners in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Mr. Ghalibaf, who led Iran’s negotiating team during direct talks with the U.S. in June, has faced intense scrutiny since the announcement of the memorandum from hardliners in parliament who see any kind of negotiation as a mistake.

Mr. Ghalibaf warned in his remarks against internal political disputes that could weaken Iran militarily and at the negotiating table. He added that much of Iran’s internal strife is the work of foreign adversaries looking to foster unrest.

Despite his background as a diplomat, Mr. Ghalibaf made it clear that Iran is prepared to strike back if attacked again.

“I should also emphasize that the breathing space created by the memorandum through the lifting of the blockade and the ceasefire helped strengthen Iran’s economic resilience and rebuild its defensive capabilities,” he said. “The Islamic republic is prepared to respond to any further aggression by inflicting an even heavier defeat on the enemy than before.”