PNN – Islamic republic of Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Oman are the only littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Kazem Gharibabadi, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs of Iran, noted: The Strait of Hormuz has no more than two littoral states, and those two are exclusively the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman.
He emphasized: Prior to the recent wars, there were no issues regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran did not place any special focus on matters concerning this waterway.
Gharibabadi added: Following the 40-day war, Iran’s strategic attention and focus shifted to this issue, and we remain in a state of war.
The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen tomorrow; the new route is like a two-way highway.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran outlined the details of the understanding reached between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that this agreement does not imply an immediate reopening of the Strait starting tomorrow; the two matters are distinct.
Gharibabadi explained that for the past 58 years, ships have been passing through Omani waters, causing severe detriment to Iran. He stressed that the Strait of Hormuz is now a matter of Iran’s national security and that fundamental changes must be made to the entry and exit routes.
Under this agreement, the inbound route to the Persian Gulf will pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route will pass through Omani territorial waters; notably, ships will traverse Iranian waters along both routes.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran explained that this route is “like a two-way highway” with a total width of approximately 7 miles.
Gharibabadi noted that this route is temporary and that Iran and Oman must negotiate a new permanent route within 30 to 60 days to replace the previous maritime traffic scheme.
The southern route of the Strait of Hormuz is being closed; if our requirements are not met, the Strait will remain closed.
The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed—a measure that has been agreed upon. Oman has consented to the closure of this route, and the matter will be reported to the International Maritime Organization.
According to him, negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the future management of the Strait of Hormuz are set to begin; these talks will last up to 60 days to finalize the joint arrangements.
He stated clearly that if Iran’s requirements are not met, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.