Iran says final Hormuz proposal to Oman requires control of key shipping lanes

Iran‘s deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that Tehran’s final proposal to Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz requires one shipping lane to remain entirely under Iranian control and part of a second lane to be also controlled by Iran.

Speaking on Iranian state television, Kazem Gharibabadi said Oman had proposed a temporary shipping route that would replace the current northern and southern routes through the strait.

He said the Omani proposal envisioned a route with 50% under Iran’s control and 50% under Oman’s control, but Tehran rejected the formula.

“Our proposal is that one shipping lane through the strait must be entirely under Iran’s control, with part of the other lane also under Iranian control. This is our definitive position, and Iran will accept no other formula,” Gharibabadi said.

He added that if Oman does not accept Iran’s proposal, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, saying Tehran is also prepared for the possibility of renewed conflict.

Iran says Article 5 of last month’s memorandum of understanding with the US gives it sole authority over Hormuz arrangements.

Gharibabadi argued that Article 5 of the memorandum obliges Iran only to establish arrangements for safe and free commercial navigation for 60 days, not to transfer control of the strategic waterway.

He said the provision clearly states that Iran is responsible for determining navigation arrangements, mine-clearing operations and security measures in the strait.

According to Gharibabadi, the US violated the memorandum by opening an alternative southern shipping route with Omani cooperation instead of following Iran’s arrangements.

He claimed US forces used drones and threats to direct commercial vessels through the southern route despite repeated Iranian warnings to return to the northern passage.

“If we had remained silent in the face of bypassing the northern route, Iran’s effective sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz would have become an illusion,” he said.

Iran “will not recognize the southern route even for one hour,” Gharibabadi said, arguing that the latest round of hostilities began because vessels continued using that passage.

FUTURE HORMUZ MANAGEMENT

Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz “will never return to its pre-war arrangements,” describing that as a “definitive state policy.”

He said responsibility for mine-clearing remains solely with Iran but stressed that the future management of the strait “has fundamentally changed.”

Calling the waterway the principal measure of Iran’s success in the recent conflict, he said restoring pre-war arrangements would mean Tehran “had failed to fully achieve its objectives.”

He also said Tehran has rejected any participation by third countries in mine-clearing operations, even if invited by Oman.

According to Gharibabadi, European countries sought to form a coalition of 30 to 40 nations to take part in mine-clearing, but Iran warned that any naval vessels or equipment approaching the strait under that pretext would become legitimate military targets.

He said negotiations with Oman are ongoing while the Strait of Hormuz remains completely closed, adding that reopening would only come after an agreement is reached.

NO US TALKS

Turning to Iran’s nuclear policy, Gharibabadi said Tehran currently has no inspections, declarations or safeguards obligations in effect with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said Iran is effectively acting “as if it were not an NPT member” after suspending all cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Although he stopped short of announcing withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he said leaving the treaty is “no longer a taboo.”

Gharibabadi argued that the NPT allows withdrawal with a 90-day notice if a country’s supreme national security interests are endangered, saying recent attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities “make reviewing that option both logical and legitimate.”

He cautioned, however, that formally leaving the treaty requires careful legal, strategic and political assessment.

Gharibabadi said Iran has no plans to negotiate with the US, arguing Washington should not become accustomed to alternating between military action and diplomacy at its own convenience.

“For now, we are proceeding step by step only through Oman,” he said.

He added that Iran maintains strategic relations with Russia and China, particularly praising Beijing’s role in trade, economic cooperation and efforts to counter sanctions.

At the same time, he said Tehran should not expect Moscow and Beijing to resolve all of Iran’s challenges.