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Iran and Oman are close to finalizing an agreement on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz that could remain in place for between two and four months, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.
Speaking to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, Gharibabadi stressed that the arrangement would not fully reopen the strategic waterway. "After reaching an agreement with Oman, we will need a new decision before moving to the second stage," he said.
Gharibabadi rejected claims that Washington participated in the negotiations, saying the discussions took place solely between Iran and Oman as the two countries bordering the strait.
"No talks were held with the United States during this period," he said, adding that the understanding on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was reached only between Tehran and Muscat.
If implemented, vessels would use a newly designated route, while the temporary northern corridor near Lark Island and the southern corridor in Omani territorial waters would eventually be closed, according to the Iranian official.
He described the arrangement as part of a new model aimed at safeguarding Iran's national security and strengthening what he called the country's effective sovereignty over the waterway.
Gharibabadi said Iran has received messages indicating that the U.S. is prepared to return to its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum signed in June. However, Tehran has not yet decided whether to activate the agreement's second phase, which would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"I must note that no decision has yet been made, and the matter is still under review," he said. He also maintained that only Iran and Oman have the authority to determine arrangements governing the strait.
The Islamabad Memorandum signed on June 18 through Pakistani mediation called for the United States to release frozen Iranian assets in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and allowing ships to transit without fees for 60 days.
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