Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday evening that Iran will not allow a third country to clear mines in the southern Strait of Hormuz, rejecting an Omani proposal. He also stated that Iran's goals in the strait are both to assert sovereignty and generate revenue, dismissing claims that revenue is not a top priority. The remarks were reported by N12.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued a statement Tuesday evening reiterating Tehran's hardline stance on the Strait of Hormuz and adding new details about its rejection of Omani efforts to involve a third party in mine clearance. According to N12, Gharibabadi said that the Omanis wanted to bring a third country to clear mines from the southern part of the strait, but Iran does not allow this. He also stated that Iran's objectives in the strait are both to assert sovereignty and generate revenue, rejecting the claim that revenue is not a top priority.
This is the latest in a series of statements by Gharibabadi on Tuesday. Earlier, he said that the Strait of Hormuz is part of Iran's national security and that any European warship approaching to clear mines would be a legitimate target. He also accused the US-Israel-Lebanon tripartite mechanism of violating a memorandum of understanding with Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to most international shipping since March 2026, when Iran imposed a blockade amid its conflict with the US and Israel. Iran has repeatedly linked the strait's status to bilateral agreements with Oman, asserting exclusive sovereignty over the waterway and rejecting international maritime norms. Oman has historically supported freedom of navigation under international law but has coordinated with Tehran on the strait's management.
Gharibabadi's latest remarks underscore Iran's determination to maintain control and exclude outside powers, even as the Omani government sought a pragmatic solution involving a third country for mine clearance. The revenue claim is a rare explicit acknowledgment of the economic dimension of Iran's blockade policy.
2 developments
- DevelopingIranian Deputy FM: Iran rejects southern route proposal in Oman talks, says 'we will not accept your plans'
- DevelopingIranian Deputy FM: Any European warship approaching Hormuz to clear mines is a legitimate target
- DevelopingIran reportedly rejects Omani plan for alternative southern route to Hormuz under US supervision
- DevelopingIranian Deputy FM: Hormuz is part of our national security; tripartite mechanism violates MOU
Source and signal
- Open-source intake