BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Iran is seeking to reach an agreement with Oman to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
He made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on August 3.
“Over the past seven to eight days, discussions with Oman have been ongoing continuously. In the talks held by the Iranian Foreign Minister with regional and non-regional parties, it was emphasized that the purpose of the discussions between Iran and Oman is to prevent escalation and ensure Iran’s national interests,” Baghaei said.
He noted that Iran is seeking to ensure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz at the initial stage through consultations with Oman and with the cooperation of the country, based on a temporary arrangement to be determined.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that the discussions between Iran and Oman are negotiations between two littoral states. “Other parties may play either a constructive or provocative role in this process. However, the issue concerns Iran and Oman. A decision must be made on what will happen at the next stage,” he said.
“An agreement on ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a necessary condition for reopening the strait. However, this condition alone is not sufficient. The Strait of Hormuz has faced problems not because of disagreements between Iran and Oman, but as a result of attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran since late February. As long as US attacks against Iran continue, there will be no change in the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz,” Baghaei added.
Meanwhile, the latest escalation in U.S.-Iranian relations began on July 8. On that day, for the first time since the signing of the memorandum between Washington and Tehran, the U.S. military carried out several waves of strikes on Iranian territory, claiming that this was in response to an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran. In response, Tehran began attacking U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman. The Iranian side currently states that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed.
