Tehran: Iran said on Sunday that it was nearing a deal with the Sultanate of Oman over a new route through the Strait of Hormuz, hours after the US called off major strikes to allow for diplomacy.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the ongoing talks between Iran and Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz are completely bilateral in nature, aimed at determining the safe shipping route through the strategic waterway.
In his weekly press briefing on Monday, Baqaei addressed certain current regional developments, including the technical and political Tehran–Muscat talks to reach an agreement on navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.
Stating that there had been no third party in the talks with Oman, he noted the issues related to the United States and its implementation of commitments would be reviewed later, in accordance with the circumstances.
He added that negotiations with Oman have been pursued seriously over the past week, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi being in contact with his counterparts, both in the region and beyond, with the aim of preventing the escalation of regional insecurity and ensuring Iran’s national interests.
Negotiations between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said.
In a post on Telegram, Araghchi said that in a report he presented to the cabinet, he described the negotiations between Tehran and Muscat as “on the way to being finalised”.
Before the war, there was free passage for all vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran closed the strait during the war and now insists on retaining control and charging tolls, something the US rejects.
That dispute sparked the return to strikes last month, as Tehran refused to let ships travel any route other than one which hugs the Iranian coast.
On Sunday, Baqaei told state television that a deal was close with Oman, which sits on the other side of the strait, over a new route through it. We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides -- neither the northern route nor the southern route -- but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security," he said.
He insisted, though, that such an agreement did not mean the reopening of the strait.
Maritime trade tracking firm Kpler said Friday that traffic through Hormuz had dropped sharply.
On Sunday, a tanker off the coast of Oman reported hearing an explosion near the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported, adding that the vessel and crew were all safe.
Baghaei says that the Strait of Hormuz will “never return to the pre-war situation”, Iran’s Fars news outlet reports.
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