Iran says Strait of Hormuz will never return to pre-war status

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status, proposing joint Iran-Oman oversight of the waterway as part of a peace plan to end the eight-month conflict with the US. Ghalibaf rejected unrestricted international access to the strait, arguing the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not apply there and that regulations fall under the jurisdiction of bordering littoral states. Iran has sent its response to Washington via Qatar, which is mediating, and awaits an official reply. Iran's conditions include lifting the US naval blockade and sanctions, releasing frozen funds, and ending hostilities. Ghalibaf cited distrust of the US as the main obstacle, warning President Donald Trump would face defeat and political pressure from the new Congress taking office in January.