BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 10. The Strait of
Hormuz was not closed because of a disagreement between Iran and
Oman, so it will not be reopened through an agreement between
Tehran and Muscat, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil
Baghaei said on Monday.


“The reason for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the
military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, as well
as the provision of supplies for attacks on Iran from bases located
along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf,” Baghaei said at a
news conference in Tehran.


Baghaei said that, accordingly, determining a shipping route
between Iran and Oman was naturally a bilateral matter. He added
that any agreement concerning the Strait of Hormuz would inevitably
have implications for international shipping by other
countries.


“However, this is a bilateral discussion between two littoral
countries, conducted with a specific objective,” he said.


“We are currently in a state of war. Under United Nations
General Assembly Resolution 3314, a naval blockade is considered an
act of aggression. As long as the U.S. naval blockade against Iran
and other violations by the United States continue, it will not be
possible to say that conditions have emerged for turning the Strait
of Hormuz into a safe route,” Baghaei said.


“Therefore, once the U.S. side fulfills its commitments and
compensates for the damage inflicted on Iran, we can discuss the
next steps,” he added.


Iran and Oman have been working on an agreement to establish
shipping arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian
officials have said the agreement would define a new route but
would not, by itself, guarantee the reopening of the strategic
waterway.


The latest escalation in U.S.-Iran relations began on July 8. On
that day, the U.S. armed forces carried out several rounds of
strikes on Iranian territory, reportedly in response to an attack
on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first
such strikes since a memorandum was signed between Washington and
Tehran. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that
the ceasefire with Iran had been terminated.


In response, Tehran began striking U.S. facilities located in
Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is currently closed.