Iran says Hormuz will not return to pre-war status

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz will "never return" to its pre-war status, asserting Tehran and Oman reached an understanding on overseeing the waterway following the US-Israel war on Iran. Ghalibaf told Al Jazeera the arrangement is part of Iran's seven-point proposal to the US to end the eight-month conflict, which began after US-Israeli strikes killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. He rejected unrestricted international access, arguing the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not apply to the strait. Iran's demands include lifting the naval blockade and sanctions, releasing frozen funds, and ending hostilities. Ghalibaf cited distrust of the US as the main obstacle, while noting Washington reportedly asked Russia's Vladimir Putin to facilitate direct negotiations.