Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz until Washington changes its behaviour and meets six demands. The list was announced by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and it was not written for a negotiating table. It was written to be read as a condition.

First: an end to threats against the supreme leader. Second: a permanent halt to American military operations against Iran and its allies in the region. Third: withdrawal of the US naval and air forces involved in what Tehran calls a blockade. Fourth: compensation for the damage from the recent clashes. Fifth: the lifting of American sanctions. Sixth: the release of frozen Iranian assets.

Zolghadr claims the demands are the will of the Iranian people and points to gatherings across the country over the previous six days. He says the council will not abandon them in war or in negotiations.

The agreement that stayed on paper

There was a memorandum from 18 June, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, meant to stop the active fighting and open wider political talks. The logic was simple: Iran opens Hormuz, the US lifts the naval blockade.

The memorandum was not implemented. Each side accuses the other of breaking it. With that, the strait went from being a trade crossing to Tehran's main instrument in its dealings with Washington.

Look at the demands again. Sanctions, frozen assets, troop withdrawal, compensation - those are not conditions for opening a sea route. That is the entire unsettled account between Iran and the United States, packed into one list and tied to one strait.

A significant share of the world's oil exports passes through Hormuz. When that share stops moving, the price does not wait for diplomacy. And that is why Tehran is in no hurry - time works for whoever holds the tap, not for whoever is waiting for it to open.

The Balkans know this scene by heart. When the big players quarrel over something everybody needs, the people who decided nothing feel the change first. Will it reach us this time before the talks end - or after?