Iranian Foreign Ministry: Understanding with the Sultanate of Oman does not mean the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

Tehran, August 25 (KUNA) – Iran stated on Tuesday that the recent understanding reached with the Sultanate of Oman does not mean the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Tasnim News Agency quoted Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, as saying that “this understanding does not mean the strait will be reopened immediately, starting tomorrow; however, a route for entering Gulf waters has been agreed upon, which will be through Iranian waters.” He added, “Conversely, the exit route will be through Omani territorial waters, with ships passing through Iranian waters in both directions, as this route will resemble a two-lane highway with a total width of approximately seven nautical miles.” He noted that this route is temporary and that Iran and Oman must negotiate within a period of 30 to 60 days to establish a new permanent route to replace the previous maritime navigation system. Earlier today, Iran and the Sultanate of Oman announced in a joint statement, following the conclusion of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi’s visit to Tehran, that they had reached a proposed framework for establishing a temporary joint maritime navigation corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and for clearing mines from the strait. (End) M.W. / S.A.M.