Iran says potential Hormuz route could be viable for up to four months
A potential transit route through the Strait of Hormuz being negotiated by Iran and Oman could be viable for two to four months, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to IRNA.
Gharibabadi said the United States returning to its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding was a condition for reopening the strait, but would not by itself be sufficient.
He said an understanding with Oman on arrangements for the strait was close to being finalized, with agreements in principle reached on almost all issues, including maps of the entry and exit routes for maritime traffic and related matters.
Gharibabadi said the arrangement must be agreed solely between Iran and Oman and that Tehran recognized no rights for any other country in the process.
He said the proposed arrangement constituted a new model rather than a continuation of the system used for the past 60 years, taking into account current conditions, the security situation surrounding Iran and future arrangements governing the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the proposed agreement, a northern route established near Iran’s Larak Island and a southern route in Oman’s internal waters would be closed because they were temporary, Gharibabadi said.
He said the newly negotiated route would be used for ships if the Iran-Oman agreement entered the implementation phase.