Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Monday that the talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are bilateral discussions aimed at establishing a safe shipping lane, and are not negotiations with the United States. The statement reiterates Tehran's insistence on keeping the maritime issue separate from broader diplomatic engagement with Washington.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Monday that the talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are bilateral discussions aimed at establishing a safe shipping lane, and are not negotiations with the United States. The statement reiterates Tehran's insistence on keeping the maritime issue separate from broader diplomatic engagement with Washington.
This latest clarification follows a series of statements from Baqaei earlier today. At 10:23 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the spokesman first denied any current talks with the US, stating only discussions with Oman were taking place. He then confirmed that Iran is holding talks with Oman on a temporary reopening of the strait, and later specified that the talks are focused on a new shipping lane, not the northern or current southern route. An analysis by the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security (JCFA) found that Iran insists the talks are limited to arranging a temporary shipping lane and do not constitute direct negotiations with Washington, and that Tehran demands a separation between opening the strait and any nuclear discussion. As The Zioneer reported Sunday evening, Baqaei also said the agreement with Oman on a new maritime route is unrelated to reopening or keeping the strait closed, and that the agreed route will be a new one.
The talks come against the backdrop of heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transit. The Zioneer has previously reported on Iran's assertion that shipping in the strait is governed by a memorandum with Oman, and that Tehran has conditioned broader talks with the US on prioritizing the strait issue. A Qatari-US compromise proposal for a dual-routing system was reportedly agreed to by Iran's foreign minister, but mediators are still working to secure IRGC support.
The key disagreement remains: the US seeks a fast-track deal that includes the nuclear program, while Iran demands a strict separation between the maritime issue and any nuclear discussion. The current talks with Oman appear to be limited to shipping, but it remains unclear whether this can lead to a broader de-escalation with Washington.
7 developments
- StrongIranian FM spokesman: New route accord with Oman not about reopening Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingIranian FM: Strait of Hormuz is not international waters, but a shared maritime route with Oman
- StrongIran confirms Muscat talks with Oman, agrees to continue Strait of Hormuz discussions
- StrongIran says Strait of Hormuz traffic unchanged despite 'useful' talks with Oman
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