Cairo/Washington/Dubai: Iran said on Saturday an agreement with Oman on managing the Strait of Hormuz was close but would not by itself reopen the waterway, and the United Arab Emirates said Iran had struck another ship there, Reuters reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and Oman were “very close” to a deal on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, but reopening the waterway would depend on other conditions, including US reparations for war damage.
Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, set out further conditions: an end to US threats against Iran, a halt to attacks on Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq, removal of the US naval blockade and sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Oman Backs Talks, Denounces Vessel Strikes
Oman denounced repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, without assigning blame, and said its negotiations with Iran on shipping arrangements through the waterway were “positive and constructive”.
“Oman stresses the importance of avoiding any actions that could affect these negotiations and the progress achieved in a manner that takes into account the interests of all parties,” the foreign ministry said.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that Washington expected Iran and Oman to clinch an agreement soon that would pave the way for normal oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports,” the official told Reuters, adding that any US steps would be linked to Tehran’s compliance with its own commitments.
US Central Command said on Saturday that, since the blockade began, it had allowed more than 30 vessels carrying humanitarian assistance to transit through the area.
In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM added that US forces had turned away 53 commercial ships, disabled two vessels and boarded two others while enforcing the maritime blockade.
The UAE said on Saturday that Iran had fired a missile at a carrier linked to its state oil company as the ship transited the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported in the latest attack on shipping in the waterway.
UKMTO, the UK maritime trade monitor, said a vessel had caught fire after being hit by an unidentified projectile; the fire was put out and no environmental damage was reported.
Pezeshkian Backs Deal, Guards Set Conditions
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, seen as a relative moderate, said he believed the moment was ripe for a deal. “There is cohesion, strength, and unity in the country, and as far as I know, Iran is considered victorious and powerful in this war,” state-linked news agencies quoted him as saying.
Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Pezeshkian accused the US of creating obstacles to imports of basic goods. He made no reference to exemptions for humanitarian aid.
The Revolutionary Guards, who have been striking ships in the strait, said reopening the waterway hinged on Washington’s acceptance of Iran’s demands and was separate from talks with Oman. “Whenever the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened,” Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi told Tasnim news agency.
Under a proposed Iran-Oman deal to help end five months of war with the US, Tehran would gain control over vessels entering the Gulf via the strait, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters on Wednesday — one of the largest concessions to Iran so far.
US officials have repeatedly ruled out any arrangement that gives Iran control over access to the world’s key energy trade route, and it was unclear whether they had tried to alter the deal’s terms.