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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Friday that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under "ambiguous arrangements" or through parallel routes devised without Tehran's consideration as a coastal state.
Any credible framework for maritime transit through the strategic waterway must be based on coordination with Tehran and be in line with Article 5 of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding with the United States, Gharibabadi wrote on X.
"Safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed with ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decision-making outside Iran's considerations as a coastal state," he said.
Gharibabadi warned that failure to meet those conditions would result in the suspension of any designated parallel route.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said earlier in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, adding that shipping management in the waterway would be governed by Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding.
The ministry issued the statement in response to a joint U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council communique that called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and stressed "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" through the strategic waterway.
The U.S.-GCC statement also rejected "any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control" over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran officially entered into force June 18 after the presidents of both countries electronically signed it.
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