Iran says talks held with Oman over safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz made good progress, but no change has been made in the status of transit through the strategic waterway.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Saturday that several rounds of negotiations were held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday between Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers.
“The two sides discussed shared principles and operational mechanisms for ensuring the safe transit of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while honoring the sovereign rights of the two coastal nations,” Baghaei said.
“The discussions were productive, and advancements were achieved,” he said, adding that the Omani delegation departed Tehran on Saturday afternoon, while “technical and political discussions between both parties will carry on.”
Baghaei also stated that currently, there is no alteration in the condition of shipping via the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has breached the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of June 17 by trying to carry out unauthorized naval maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, leading the Iranian Navy to intercept the ships to uphold the agreement.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the existing instability in the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding area is entirely due to the United States’ violation of its commitments and its disruption of the fulfillment of Iran’s responsibilities under Clause 5 of the MoU.
Reiterating Iran’s commitment to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to US military aggression, Araqchi emphasized that every government has the duty to avert the ongoing undermining of the core principles of the United Nations Charter and the normalization of the use of force in international relations.
Earlier, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) reaffirmed the nation’s position on overseeing the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Baqeri-Kani highlighted that the Strait of Hormuz serves as a decisive leverage for Iran, and the country will not relent on this matter.
