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Iran Details New Hormuz Maritime Route Ahead of Oman Talks
(MENAFN) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a meeting scheduled to take place in Oman on Monday will center on plans for establishing a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The gathering will be held in the Omani city of Salalah and will bring together representatives from Iran, Iraq and five Gulf countries, according to Araghchi. He said the meeting was initially planned to include all eight countries bordering the Gulf, but Bahrain chose not to attend, reducing participation to seven states.
“The main, and indeed the only, agenda of this meeting is the new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz,” Araghchi said.
He explained that Iran and Oman had already completed an agreement outlining the proposed maritime arrangement. The two countries have also prepared navigation maps and a joint statement detailing the framework under which the route would operate.
Representatives attending Monday’s meeting will be presented with the agreement, the accompanying maps and the joint statement. Following the briefing, the documents are expected to be submitted to the International Maritime Organization for formal registration, Araghchi said.
The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that the agreement reached between Tehran and Muscat “by no means” means that the Strait of Hormuz is being reopened. Instead, he said, the arrangement establishes the framework for potential entry and exit routes that could be activated if circumstances allow the strategic waterway to resume normal operations.
Araghchi said Iran has set a specific condition for restoring normal navigation through the strait, linking the move to the United States’ commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
“If the US returns to the commitments it accepted and signed in the Islamabad understanding and acts accordingly, the conditions will be created for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal,” he said.
He accused Washington of contributing to instability in maritime navigation through what he described as a naval blockade and economic pressure against Iran. According to Araghchi, the arrangements reached between Iran and Oman could provide the necessary framework for restoring normal maritime movement if the US fulfills the commitments it previously accepted.
The Iranian official also maintained that regional countries should bear responsibility for maintaining security and stability in their own region. He said Tehran considers regional cooperation essential to addressing security concerns surrounding the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, Araghchi clarified that Monday’s meeting is not intended to create a new regional security structure. He said discussions would remain focused specifically on the proposed maritime arrangements and the routes planned for the Strait of Hormuz.
The foreign minister expressed hope that the meeting would also encourage additional consultations among regional countries on issues of shared concern. He suggested that cooperation over maritime navigation could serve as an opening for broader regional discussions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also announced Saturday that foreign ministers from regional countries would meet in Oman on Monday to discuss the joint Iran-Oman shipping route. He said the resulting agreement would be communicated to the International Maritime Organization and reiterated Tehran’s position that the strait would be reopened once the United States ends its attacks and naval blockade.
The latest developments come amid continued tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel. Washington and Israel launched attacks against Iran in February, after which Tehran carried out retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military targets in several parts of the region.
An understanding between Washington and Tehran was reached in Islamabad in June through mediation by Pakistan and Qatar. However, implementation subsequently stalled as the two sides remained divided over arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States resumed military attacks against Iran in August, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes against US military assets located in several Arab countries that are aligned with Washington. The continuing confrontation has intensified concerns over regional security, maritime navigation and the movement of energy supplies through the strategically important waterway.
The gathering will be held in the Omani city of Salalah and will bring together representatives from Iran, Iraq and five Gulf countries, according to Araghchi. He said the meeting was initially planned to include all eight countries bordering the Gulf, but Bahrain chose not to attend, reducing participation to seven states.
“The main, and indeed the only, agenda of this meeting is the new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz,” Araghchi said.
He explained that Iran and Oman had already completed an agreement outlining the proposed maritime arrangement. The two countries have also prepared navigation maps and a joint statement detailing the framework under which the route would operate.
Representatives attending Monday’s meeting will be presented with the agreement, the accompanying maps and the joint statement. Following the briefing, the documents are expected to be submitted to the International Maritime Organization for formal registration, Araghchi said.
The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that the agreement reached between Tehran and Muscat “by no means” means that the Strait of Hormuz is being reopened. Instead, he said, the arrangement establishes the framework for potential entry and exit routes that could be activated if circumstances allow the strategic waterway to resume normal operations.
Araghchi said Iran has set a specific condition for restoring normal navigation through the strait, linking the move to the United States’ commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
“If the US returns to the commitments it accepted and signed in the Islamabad understanding and acts accordingly, the conditions will be created for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal,” he said.
He accused Washington of contributing to instability in maritime navigation through what he described as a naval blockade and economic pressure against Iran. According to Araghchi, the arrangements reached between Iran and Oman could provide the necessary framework for restoring normal maritime movement if the US fulfills the commitments it previously accepted.
The Iranian official also maintained that regional countries should bear responsibility for maintaining security and stability in their own region. He said Tehran considers regional cooperation essential to addressing security concerns surrounding the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, Araghchi clarified that Monday’s meeting is not intended to create a new regional security structure. He said discussions would remain focused specifically on the proposed maritime arrangements and the routes planned for the Strait of Hormuz.
The foreign minister expressed hope that the meeting would also encourage additional consultations among regional countries on issues of shared concern. He suggested that cooperation over maritime navigation could serve as an opening for broader regional discussions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also announced Saturday that foreign ministers from regional countries would meet in Oman on Monday to discuss the joint Iran-Oman shipping route. He said the resulting agreement would be communicated to the International Maritime Organization and reiterated Tehran’s position that the strait would be reopened once the United States ends its attacks and naval blockade.
The latest developments come amid continued tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel. Washington and Israel launched attacks against Iran in February, after which Tehran carried out retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military targets in several parts of the region.
An understanding between Washington and Tehran was reached in Islamabad in June through mediation by Pakistan and Qatar. However, implementation subsequently stalled as the two sides remained divided over arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States resumed military attacks against Iran in August, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes against US military assets located in several Arab countries that are aligned with Washington. The continuing confrontation has intensified concerns over regional security, maritime navigation and the movement of energy supplies through the strategically important waterway.
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