Tehran (AFP) – Iran on Sunday said it was nearing a deal with Oman over a new route through the Strait of Hormuz, hours after the US called off major strikes to allow for diplomacy. US President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his country and Israel had agreed to hold off on new strikes against Iran, noting that the “perimeters” of a deal were in place. The foes have been at war since February 28, when the US and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran, though months of on-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm. Following a return to strikes last month, fears had mounted that the fighting could escalate once again.
Trump had previously threatened to hit Iran “very hard” and was reportedly considering renewed attacks, including against energy infrastructure, with US embassies across the region on high alert. However, the US leader appeared to have changed course after a flurry of diplomacy, which included discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Trump explained, “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal have been agreed to.” He added, “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.”
It remains unclear what the US president meant regarding the state of negotiations. Iranian media denied that Tehran had requested Trump not to strike.
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the parliament’s national security commission, indicated on Sunday that mediators were attempting to revive the so-called Islamabad memorandum of understanding, which was agreed upon in June. This memorandum was not intended as a final peace deal but rather as a stepping stone to negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, although it did include provisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz. “They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi remarked.
Posting on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated, “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.” The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies, has been at the center of the failed diplomatic efforts thus far. Before the war, there was free passage for all vessels, but Iran closed the strait during the conflict and now insists on retaining control and charging tolls—something the US rejects.
Trump further emphasized that any deal would have to include the “Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” At the conflict’s onset, the US president had declared that the war was essential to address Iran’s nuclear program. Western nations have accused Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb, although Tehran maintains that its program is entirely civilian in nature.
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz led to the recent resurgence of strikes, as Tehran refused to allow ships to travel any route other than one that closely follows the Iranian coast. On Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei informed state television that a deal was close with Oman, which sits on the opposite side of the strait, concerning a new route through it. “We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides—neither the northern route nor the southern route—but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he stated. He insisted, however, that such an agreement did not imply the reopening of the strait. Maritime trade tracking firm Kpler reported that traffic through Hormuz had declined sharply.
© 2024 AFP
