Iranian officials offered a cool reception to the US 15-point peace proposal, conditioning any ceasefire agreement on Iran's maintenance of strategic leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian government representatives stated that ceasefire would require: (1) Iranian right to manage/control Hormuz transit, (2) termination of US-Israeli military support for regional proxies, and (3) acknowledgment of Iran's legitimate strategic interests in the Gulf.
Hormuz Control as Non-Negotiable
Iran's positioning Hormuz control as a core ceasefire condition indicates Tehran will not accept a return to pre-war shipping norms. Rather, Iran views the blockade as a strategic tool that provides leverage in negotiations and protects against future US-Israeli military operations.
For tanker markets, this demand is critical: even if a ceasefire is formally agreed, Iran may insist on maintaining de facto vetting authority over vessel transit—requiring pre-approval protocols, selective passage for aligned nations, and continued ability to deny access to perceived hostile vessels.
White House Claims "Productive" Talks
The White House countered Iranian statements, saying talks remain productive and that media reports about specific ceasefire conditions are incomplete. However, the gap between US expectations (full Hormuz reopening) and Iranian demands (maintained Strait control) suggests negotiations face substantial obstacles.
TankerMap data shows that even under diplomatic optimism, physical tanker traffic through Hormuz remains constrained. The passage of select fuel tankers (cited by Trump as a "present" from Iran) signals selective coordination, not normalization. Full supply restoration would require Iran to abandon the leverage that a controlled Strait provides.