KABUL: Iranian officials say they are close to reaching an agreement with Oman on a mechanism to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the agreement has entered its final stages.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted Baghaei as saying that a bilateral agreement between Iran and Oman alone cannot guarantee safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that regional security remains tied to what he described as the ongoing U.S. pressure campaign and other hostile threats and actions against Iran’s interests.
Baghaei said a joint Iran-Oman statement on the Strait of Hormuz is nearing completion but warned that interference by a third party could disrupt the process.
He also claimed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a consequence of what he described as the U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran.