The wait for an Iranian deal with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz dragged on, as the Islamic Republic’s top envoy ruled out direct talks with the US for now.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has said a pact to establish a temporary shipping route through the global energy chokepoint was “very close,” on Sunday criticized what he described as US violations of a short-lived interim peace agreement signed in June.
“As long as the American violation of the Memorandum of Understanding continues and the US does not make amends for its violations, there is no possibility of resuming negotiations,” Araghchi was cited as saying by state TV.
Tehran on Saturday upped the ante by renewing a hefty list of demands for Washington as conditions for a full reopening of Hormuz, indicating any immediate respite for oil and gas supplies may be limited.
The status of the Strait of Hormuz has become a key factor in the conflict the US and Israel launched on Iran in late February, and it’s unclear how Washington will respond to any agreement. US President Donald Trump has demanded the resumption of open navigation for months, regularly threatening fresh attacks on Iran if it fails to reopen the waterway.
