Former Iranian diplomat Abbas Khameh Yar said Tehran will not relinquish its strategic leverage over the Strait of Hormuz [1].
The statement underscores the precarious nature of maritime security in one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors. Any shift in the status of the strait could trigger immediate global economic volatility and alter the geopolitical balance between Iran and the West.
Khameh Yar said that security negotiations in Muscat, Oman, have been postponed [1]. He said the delay was due to direct pressure and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump [1]. According to the former diplomat, the U.S. is attempting to block the creation of a new security architecture that would reduce the strategic leverage currently held by Tehran [1].
These developments follow a period of intense diplomatic maneuvering in June 2026 [2, 3]. While some reports suggested that Iran might open the Strait of Hormuz under specific new conditions [2], or that a comprehensive peace deal could end the port siege and open the waterway [3], Khameh Yar said the strategic "card" remains with Iran [1].
The tension between these accounts highlights a divide in how the current diplomatic stalemate is perceived. While some channels suggest a path toward a negotiated opening of the strait, the perspective provided by Khameh Yar suggests that U.S. intervention has stalled the process in Muscat [1].
Tehran continues to view its control over the waterway as a primary deterrent and bargaining chip in broader negotiations with Washington [1]. The postponement of the Muscat talks removes a key venue for resolving these security disputes in the immediate term [1].
“Tehran will not relinquish its strategic leverage over the Strait of Hormuz”
The postponement of the Muscat talks suggests a breakdown in the diplomatic effort to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz. By framing the delay as a result of U.S. pressure, Tehran reinforces its narrative that Washington is the primary obstacle to regional security, while simultaneously signaling that it will continue to use the waterway as a geopolitical tool to force concessions from the U.S. administration.
