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Hormuz talks near finish
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations between Tehran and Muscat over the Strait of Hormuz are “nearing completion,” as he briefed Iran’s Council of Ministers on the latest developments.
“negotiations between Tehran and Muscat regarding the Strait of Hormuz are approaching their final stage”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said under Article Five of the memorandum of understanding ending the conflict, the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz should remain under Iran’s responsibility, in consultation with Oman and through dialogue with regional countries.
Baghaei said the northern shipping lane had remained completely calm during the first 22 or 23 days of implementing the agreement, with vessels transiting without disruption.
He added that before the expiration of the previously designated 30-day period for restoring maritime traffic to its pre-war status, one party had carried out what he described as “aggression against Iran,” disrupting the situation.
Baghaei also warned the United States that “If the Americans seek further escalation, they will undoubtedly receive an appropriate and strong response from us.”
Trump strike pause and MoU
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he agreed to cancel a planned attack on Iran after Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries requested a pause, and he wrote on Truth Social that he agreed to cancel the attack on the condition that an agreement is reached quickly.
Iran International reported that Trump’s cancellation came after the sides agreed on the “perimeters” of a deal that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran’s nuclear threat.
In parallel, Iran’s acting defense minister said on Sunday that Tehran considers every threat from its adversaries credible and uses it to increase its military readiness and deterrence.
Iran’s parliament National Security Committee spokesperson Hassan Ghashghavi said mediators are intensifying efforts to revive the 14-point Islamabad agreement, adding that “Everyone knows that the core issue now is the Strait of Hormuz.”
Ghashghavi said the memorandum later collapsed after the United States and Iran accused each other of violating its terms, following comments Trump made about postponing planned strikes.
Route dispute and regional pressure
Iranian officials said the understanding with Oman over a new transit route is unrelated to whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open or closed, with Baghaei arguing that “The strait was closed because the US reneged on its commitments and imposed a blockade.”
“The strait was closed because the US reneged on its commitments and imposed a blockade.”
Anadolu Ajansı quoted Baghaei saying the agreed route will be neither the current northern route nor the southern route, but “a new route on which the two sides will reach an understanding,” while stressing the talks were bilateral and “do not concern any other party.”
The BBC said Baghaei argued the closure occurred due to America’s breach of commitments and the imposition of a blockade, and that the Iran–Muscat understanding is only a necessary condition for reopening the waterway, not a sufficient one.
In the same BBC account, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Abbas Araghchi had announced Iran’s agreement to a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, and that this decision led Donald Trump’s decision to cancel the plan to attack Iran.
The Associated Press reported that the parties did not announce a joint text or a final agreement, with Iran not confirming Trump’s claim about opening the strait in full and disagreements remaining over navigation routes, fees, control of vessel movement, and US sanctions.
