Iran: Opening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on US stance

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated in a press release to the national media that the agreement resulting from discussions with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz is nearing its final stage. Gharibabadi noted that the agreement does not mean the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The new route passing through the Strait of Hormuz is temporary but may be valid for 2 to 4 months or longer. After reaching an agreement with Oman, we need a new decision to move to the second stage. The discussions are taking place solely between Iran and Oman. The consensus on passage through the Strait of Hormuz was reached between Iran and Oman as two coastal states, and no discussions have been held with the US during this period.”

Gharibabadi announced that according to the consensus reached with Oman, a new route for passage through the Strait will be opened. Gharibabadi stated, “The northern route established near Lark Island and the southern route located in Oman's internal waters will be closed as they are entirely temporary routes. If this new agreement established between Iran and Oman moves to the implementation stage, a new route will be applied for the passage of ships. As before the war, all entries and exits took place through Omani territorial waters for 60 years, and Iran established effective sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz during the war. This means that some parts of the entry and exit corridor will pass through Iran's territorial waters. We are witnessing a new model. This new model is based on national security concerns and the protection of national interests and is Iran's strategy to exercise effective sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Emphasizing that the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on the US stance, Gharibabadi said, “We have received messages from the US indicating that they are fully prepared to return to their commitments in the Islamabad Agreement. I can say that the decision on whether we will decide to move to the second stage has not yet been made and is under review.”