Muscat meeting to focus on new maritime arrangements in Strait of Hormuz: Araghchi

🖥 Muscat meeting to focus on new maritime arrangements in Strait of Hormuz: Araghchi 📌 Tehran, IRNA – Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the upcoming regional meeting in Muscat will focus exclusively on establishing new maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with the London-based Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Araghchi said the joint meeting between Iran, its six southern neighbors, and Iraq in Muscat will focus exclusively on new maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. ​ He added that Iran and Oman have agreed to establish the new route and have prepared the relevant maps and a joint statement. The top Iranian diplomat said the details of the agreement and the maps will be presented to the participating countries and then submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for registration. ​ Araghchi stressed that the Iran-Oman agreement does not mean the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Rather, it sets out the framework and arrangements for maritime traffic should conditions for reopening the strait be met. The agreement also specifies the new entry and exit routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he added. ​ He said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is conditional on the United States returning to and fulfilling its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU). ​ Araghchi added that Iran is committed to ensuring the security of maritime traffic, but considers US actions, including the naval blockade and economic warfare, the main cause of insecurity. The Iran-Oman agreement only establishes the framework and new maritime routes, which could serve as the basis for restoring normal traffic through the strait if Iran’s conditions are met, Araghchi underlined. ​ The top diplomat said Iran believes that regional security and stability should be ensured by the countries of the region themselves, without interference by foreign actors, stressing dialogue, confidence-building, and cooperation among neighbors. ​ However, he said the upcoming meeting is not aimed at establishing a new regional security mechanism, and such a mechanism is not on its agenda. He described the meeting as a confidence-building step that could, if sustained, pave the way for regional cooperation on other issues and reduce external interference. ​ Araghchi also said that the Muscat meeting is not intended to address the Yemen conflict or resolve disputes among regional countries, with its agenda limited to the new maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, he said direct dialogue among regional countries could improve mutual understanding, reduce misunderstandings, and help manage tensions. ​ Regarding Yemen, he reiterated Iran’s position that there is no military solution and that the country’s future should be determined through Yemeni dialogue and an inclusive political process. 📲 ​