BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Iran is seeking to
reach an agreement with Oman to ensure the safe passage of vessels
through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
Esmaeil Baghaei said.


He made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on
August 3.


“Over the past seven to eight days, discussions with Oman have
been ongoing continuously. In the talks held by the Iranian Foreign
Minister with regional and non-regional parties, it was emphasized
that the purpose of the discussions between Iran and Oman is to
prevent escalation and ensure Iran’s national interests,” Baghaei
said.


He noted that Iran is seeking to ensure navigation in the Strait
of Hormuz at the initial stage through consultations with Oman and
with the cooperation of the country, based on a temporary
arrangement to be determined.


The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that the
discussions between Iran and Oman are negotiations between two
littoral states. “Other parties may play either a constructive or
provocative role in this process. However, the issue concerns Iran
and Oman. A decision must be made on what will happen at the next
stage,” he said.


“An agreement on ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait
of Hormuz is a necessary condition for reopening the strait.
However, this condition alone is not sufficient. The Strait of
Hormuz has faced problems not because of disagreements between Iran
and Oman, but as a result of attacks by the United States and
Israel on Iran since late February. As long as US attacks against
Iran continue, there will be no change in the situation surrounding
the Strait of Hormuz,” Baghaei added.


Meanwhile, the latest escalation in U.S.-Iranian relations began
on July 8. On that day, for the first time since the signing of the
memorandum between Washington and Tehran, the U.S. military carried
out several waves of strikes on Iranian territory, claiming that
this was in response to an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait
of Hormuz. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced
the end of the ceasefire with Iran. In response, Tehran began
attacking U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the
UAE, and Oman. The Iranian side currently states that the Strait of
Hormuz has been closed.