Iran and Oman finalize agreement on the Strait of Hormuz
Kyiv • UNN
Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement does not guarantee safety, and restoration depends on conditions, including the lifting of the U.S. blockade.
Iran says that the agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz is "in the final stages," UNN reports, citing the BBC.
Details
Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman regarding the shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei provided no further details about the agreement, which he said was "in the final stages."
In his statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry representative said that the "geographic coordinates of the route" had been agreed upon with Oman.
"The factors that make the Strait of Hormuz dangerous still exist on the part of the United States, including the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests," he said, according to a report by IRNA.
However, Baghaei warned that the agreement with Oman would not guarantee safe passage through the strait, arguing that security still depends on the US blockade of Iranian ports. The US and Oman did not immediately comment on the proposal.
CNN also notes that Iran and Oman are close to finalizing the proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the agreement will not automatically lead to the waterway’s reopening, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with IRNA.
Gharibabadi said the talks had continued for more than three weeks and had resulted in broad agreement on the proposed inbound and outbound shipping routes. The talks also covered technical arrangements, security and the sovereignty of Iran and Oman, as well as a proposed joint coordination center to manage maritime traffic and collect information from vessels.
Under the proposed arrangement, temporary routes near the Iranian island of Larak in the Strait of Hormuz and through Omani territorial waters would be closed.
Some of the new corridors for inbound and outbound shipping would pass through Iranian waters, marking a departure from the system that had existed for decades, under which commercial vessels traveled through Omani waters, Gharibabadi said.
According to Gharibabadi, the proposed route would initially operate for two to four months, and possibly longer. Its implementation would require a separate decision by Iran’s top leadership.
"This understanding in itself does not mean that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen," he said, adding that reopening remains subject to certain preconditions.
Gharibabadi said these conditions mainly concern the United States, which he accused of resuming the naval blockade, resuming hostilities and reimposing sanctions. The US said it had resumed strikes after Iran fired on vessels passing through the strait.
However, Gharibabadi denied that Iran is currently negotiating with the US over the waterway, even as US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened "soon." Trump also told Fox News that "very good negotiations" were underway with Tehran.
An official from a Gulf country familiar with the talks said there was a "50:50" chance that Iran and Oman would reach an agreement on Friday.
MarineTraffic data on Wednesday showed that at least 10 commercial vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 25 hours. On another important waterway, a vessel sank after an attack in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, UKMTO reported. Iran-backed Houthi forces have repeatedly threatened to disrupt shipping through the strait.
Global oil prices rose yesterday after a sharp decline at the beginning of the week, following signs of disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea and conflicting reports about the Strait of Hormuz.
US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon ended earlier than expected on Wednesday, amid renewed Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
One of the main points of disagreement between Tehran and Washington, the BBC notes, is Iran’s threat to impose a tariff on vessels wishing to cross the strait.
According to a senior Iranian official quoted by Reuters, Iran is seeking a tariff of between 5% and 7% of the value of cargoes from ships using the strait. Oman is discussing a tariff of around 3%, while Washington wants no tariffs to be levied at all.