Hormuz Strait to remain shut until US meets interim deal conditions, Iran says

DUBAI: The Strait of Hormuz will remain shut until the US meets the conditions of an interim deal signed with Iran in June, the top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments published by state media on Tuesday (Aug 18).These conditions include the US lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, releasing Tehran's frozen assets, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts, Qalibaf told parliament.The memorandum of understanding, clinched on Jun 17, quickly unravelled over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.US President Donald Trump said the deal was "over" on Jul 7 and a week later Iran's foreign ministry declared it "suspended"