Iran says Hormuz talks with Oman in ‘final’ stages as route approved

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said that talks with Oman over future transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz have been “moving forward”, with the coordinates of the routes now agreed upon.

Responding to questions from reporters, the ministry’s spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Wednesday that the talks had been under way for the past two months with the aim of “determining a safe transit route for commercial shipping through the strait”.

“The geographical coordinates of the route proposed by the two sides have been agreed upon, and provided that certain third parties do not obstruct the process, the joint statement by the two countries, incorporating the main considerations and points of agreement, is also in the final stage of review and drafting,” he said.

Moreover, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, told Iran’s IRNA state news agency on Wednesday that an understanding between the two countries had been reached on almost all issues, including the location of entry and exit routes for maritime traffic.

He said that under the planned arrangement, large parts of the shipping route would go through Iran’s territorial waters, and some parts would also pass through Oman’s waters.

While existing temporary routes would be closed, the new route would be used for a period of two to four months or potentially longer, Gharibabadi explained.

Iran has enforced a near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz after both Tehran and Washington called an end to a June 17 memorandum of understanding and resumed strikes in the war that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

Resumed strikes have disrupted about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, leading to price increases.