Tehran speaks of a 'no-fly zone'... and reaches understanding with Muscat over 'Hormuz' within days!

Iran is set to announce within days a new “no-fly zone” extending from the US blockade line to parts of the Gulf, coinciding with preparations for a new shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Sultanate of Oman, according to its own statements.

Ismail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that talks with Muscat have reached their final stages, and that an agreement on a “temporary safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz is expected in the coming days.

Regarding mediation efforts, the spokesperson noted that a Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Sunday to help de-escalate tensions.

On Sunday evening, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated in an interview broadcast on state television that “agreement has been reached on the maps of the new international corridor, which lies in Iranian and Omani waters and will be managed by Iran, with signing scheduled in the coming days.”

He announced that Iran would soon designate a new “no-fly zone” covering the distance between the “US blockade line” and loading ports, adding that any vessel moving from either side of the strait toward Hormuz without coordination with Tehran would be placed on Iran’s “sanctions list.” He warned that this could lead to complications in insurance and subsequent vessel movements.

Shipping data released on Monday showed that the average number of ships passing through the strait dropped to ten per day over the past ten days, the lowest level since May.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said earlier on Sunday that more than nine million barrels of oil pass through the strait daily, and that flows, including pipelines bypassing Hormuz, have reached about two-thirds of pre-war levels or more.

Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency has not received any recent information from Iran regarding the status of its declared nuclear materials and facilities, and has been unable to access any of them to conduct on-site verification. He described this as a “serious concern from a nuclear non-proliferation standpoint.”

He warned that the status of Iran’s nuclear program has implications for the global non-proliferation regime.