Iran announced on Sunday that it was close to reaching an agreement with Oman on a new route through the Strait of Hormuz , hours after the United States called off large-scale strikes to make room for diplomacy.
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States and Israel had agreed to suspend planned strikes on Iran at the request of Tehran and other countries in the region, stipulating that a quick agreement must be reached. Meanwhile, Iranian military officials denied to the Mehr News Agency that the Islamic Republic had asked the United States to refrain from attacking it.
On Friday, during a cabinet meeting, Trump vowed to strike Iran “very hard.”
In contrast, Iran’s Mehr News Agency quoted military officials as saying that Trump’s statement “was nothing but another lie,” stressing that the Iranian armed forces are “on high alert and ready for any eventuality.”
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that the United States is “ready to strike the Islamic Republic of Iran, with levels of military terror and power not seen since World War II.”
He added, “However, Iran and other countries in the Middle East have just asked us to suspend any attack. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the sake of the world’s future and for Iran to remain a successful and prosperous country, to cancel the attack, provided that a swift agreement is reached,” adding, “Israel shares this commitment.”
Hassan Qashqavi, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, said on Sunday that mediators were seeking to revive the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad that briefly halted the war between Iran and the United States in June.
In a statement made in a filmed interview, Qashqavi said, “There are ongoing efforts, particularly by mediators, to revive the 14-point Islamabad agreement.”
He continued, “They know that the main issue, indeed the very basis of the matter now, is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views.”
But Trump stressed that the agreement must include “the immediate, complete and total opening of the Strait of Hormuz and putting an end to the Iranian nuclear threat,” adding, “Everyone should get to work and get it done.”
Iran has effectively controlled navigation in the strait since the outbreak of war on February 28, requiring ships to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the waterway.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman announced on Sunday that Tehran and Muscat are close to reaching an agreement on a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, separate from existing routes.
“A new path”
“We are in the process of reaching an understanding on a path acceptable to both sides, neither the northern nor the southern path, but a path that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and preserves our national interests and security,” Esmail Baghaei said in an interview with state television.
Details of the new route were not immediately clear.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA had earlier quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying that negotiations with Oman, the other country bordering the strait, “are moving towards completion and are in their final stages,” without providing further details.
There was no immediate comment from Muscat.
But my presence confirmed that “the understanding between Iran and Oman regarding a new path has nothing to do with reopening the Strait of Hormuz or keeping it closed,” holding the United States responsible for its closure and accusing Washington of reneging on its commitments.
He said, “The strait was closed because of the United States’ breach of its commitments, its naval blockade of Iran, and all the hostile actions it has taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran during this period.”
War broke out in the Middle East when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, to which Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region.
Despite the signing of a memorandum of understanding in mid-June as a prelude to starting talks to end the war, strikes were exchanged again at the beginning of July.
The war has recently widened with the opening of a new front in the Red Sea, where the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi ports and subsequently claimed responsibility for attacks on oil tankers and oil facilities across the kingdom, while the Riyadh-led coalition announced strikes on their positions in Yemen.
The declared blockade threatens Saudi Arabia’s ability to export millions of barrels of crude oil daily, as it may deprive it of its sea outlet through the Red Sea in light of the disruption to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid concerns that the Houthis might seek to gain control of Bab al-Mandab, similar to what Iran is doing in the Strait of Hormuz, the rebels on Saturday denied any intention of imposing fees on ships passing through the strait.
