Following President Donald Trump’s announcement last night that talks between Washington and Tehran were resuming, Iran was quick to cool down and deny the news. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman clarified today (Monday) that at this stage there are no talks between the countries, and that the president’s statement does not reflect the reality on the ground.
In his remarks, the Iranian spokesman also referred to the growing tensions in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to him, there will be no change in the situation in the Strait as long as the United States continues what he defined as “aggression” and a “maritime blockade” against his country. He emphasized that the current situation will remain as long as the tough American policy continues unchanged.
In addition, the spokesman clarified that an agreement with Oman alone is not enough to reopen the Strait to full traffic. He noted that Iran is working with Oman to achieve a temporary and safe passage through the Strait, but reaching an agreement on this route alone is not sufficient to resolve the overall crisis, and the Strait will remain closed until American pressure is removed.
As mentioned, Oman tried to promote a new plan for the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow Iran to collect “voluntary” fees from ships passing through the critical oil passage. The plan was rejected by Iran when it demanded to receive the main control of the maritime passage, which is essential for global oil supplies.
Iran presented a counter-proposal, according to which the shipping lane in one direction would pass entirely through Iranian waters, and part of the route in the opposite direction would also be under its control: “The incoming shipping lane must be entirely under Iranian control, while part of the outgoing shipping lane can remain under Oman’s control. “If they accept this proposal, we will move to the next stage,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated on state television.