Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s foreign ministry announced on Monday, though officials were quick to stress the deal does not mean the strategically critical waterway will reopen to commercial traffic immediately.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the geographic coordinates of the proposed route had been agreed upon by both parties. He added that a joint declaration setting out the key elements of the agreement was in its final stages of review and drafting, provided there was no third-party interference.
“The geographic coordinates of the proposed route have been agreed by both sides and, barring interference from third parties, the joint statement defining the main points of the agreement is in its final phase of review and drafting,” Baghaei was quoted as saying by Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
Baghaei was nonetheless explicit that an agreement with Oman would not, by itself, lead to an immediate reopening of the strait to commercial navigation.
He argued that Iran’s blockade of commercial maritime traffic through the strait was a direct consequence of military operations launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic since 28 February, and the resulting security repercussions.
According to Baghaei, for as long as the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place — alongside what he described as other “aggressive and threatening” actions — the strait cannot be considered safe for commercial shipping.
Source: ANGOP / Original article: https://www.angop.ao/noticias/mundo/irao-anuncia-acordo-com-oma-sobre-estreito-de-ormuz/
