Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, announced that discussions between Tehran and Muscat regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remain ongoing, with the primary focus on establishing safe two-way shipping lanes. These remarks come as U.S. officials report that an agreement may be imminent.
Speaking to IRIB News on Tuesday, August 4, Baghaei stated that Iran-Oman negotiations are “progressing with a focus on defining safe entry and exit routes for ships.”
Characterizing the trajectory of the talks as positive, he added that the discussions take into account “the national security considerations of both Iran and Oman.”
Without directly addressing reports suggesting that an agreement could be finalized in the coming hours, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted, “The final results of these negotiations will be announced once they are concluded.”
Baghaei’s comments coincided with statements made hours earlier by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed that talks involving Iran and Oman, with Washington’s participation, were underway. According to Rubio, the objective is to establish conditions that would allow a greater volume of maritime traffic to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz in the short term.
