Iran on Sunday said it is close to reaching an agreement with Oman on a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, separate from the existing shipping corridors. According to Tehran, the proposed route is intended to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of both countries.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the two countries were nearing an understanding on the new route, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated that negotiations were in their final stages.
However, details of the proposed maritime corridor were not immediately available. Iran has effectively maintained control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war on February 28. Around 20 per cent of global oil consumption passes through the waterway under normal circumstances.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides — neither the northern route nor the southern route — but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” Esmaeil Baqaei said in an interview with state television, as reported by AFP.
Earlier, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying negotiations with Oman, the other littoral state on the Strait of Hormuz, “were on track for finalisation and were going through their final stages.”
Oman did not immediately comment on the development.
Baqaei said the proposed agreement on a new maritime route was unrelated to whether the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened or remain closed.
“An understanding between Iran and Oman on a new route has nothing to do with whether the Strait of Hormuz is reopened or remains closed,” he said.
He blamed the United States for the closure of the strategic waterway.