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Hormuz route talks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran and Oman are working on a joint statement on safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with the draft in “the final stages of review and drafting.”
“the final stages of review and drafting”
Baqaei said Iran and Oman have agreed on “geographic coordinates for navigation route in the Strait of Hormuz,” after talks that have continued for two months to establish a safe commercial shipping route.
He said the competent authorities in Iran are reviewing the proposal’s “technical, legal, security and environmental aspects,” while linking the wider security picture to “ongoing US blockade” and other “aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests.”
Baqaei also dismissed reports of a potential visit by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi or Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to Pakistan or Qatar this week, saying “there are no such plans at the moment.”
No automatic safety
Multiple outlets quoted Baqaei stressing that the Iran-Oman understanding does not automatically make the Strait of Hormuz safe, because destabilizing factors attributed to the United States remain in place.
In the Frat news report, Baqaei said: “Naturally, the Iran-Oman understanding in itself cannot imply the Strait being safe for passing ships,” pointing to “the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests.”
The same Frat account described the negotiations as “serious and forward-looking,” saying the geographical coordinates have been agreed upon and that the joint statement is conditional on “some third parties do not obstruct this matter.”
A separate report in Sky News Arabia similarly quoted that the agreement “does not, in itself, mean that the Strait of Hormuz is safe,” while reiterating that talks have been ongoing for two months and that Iran’s competent authorities reviewed “technical, legal, security, and environmental aspects.”
Regional diplomacy and stakes
Iran’s statements also tied the Hormuz talks to regional diplomacy, saying Pakistan and Qatar are continuing efforts to reduce tensions while Iran remains in contact with them and exchanging views.
“Pakistan and Qatar are continuing their efforts to reduce tensions”
Baqaei told reporters that “Pakistan and Qatar are continuing their efforts to reduce tensions,” and that Iran is “also in contact with them and exchanging views on the latest developments.”
Deutsche Welle’s roundup reported that Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said it is essential to continue talks over the Hormuz and noted that the discussion also covered Iran–Oman negotiations to reopen the Strait to commercial traffic.
In the same DW roundup, Tajani called for “full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or restrictions,” framing it as serving “regional stability and the global economy.”
