Iran and Oman are in the final stages of drafting an agreement on a proposed safe shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz following two months of negotiations, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Mr Baghaei said the two countries, which border the strategic waterway, had reached an understanding on the geographical co-ordinates of the proposed route after reviewing its technical, legal, security and environmental aspects.
“If some third parties do not obstruct work in this regard, the joint statement of the two countries, including the main considerations and points of agreement, is also in the final review and drafting stage,” Mr Baghaei said, according to Mehr News Agency.
He described the negotiations as “professional” and “forward-looking”.
However, Mr Baghaei said an Iran-Oman agreement would not by itself guarantee safe passage through the strait, arguing that the US naval blockade and other actions against Iran continued to pose security risks.
He blamed the disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on US and Israeli military action against Iran.
Mr Baghaei separately said there were no plans for Iran’s Foreign Minister or parliament speaker to visit Pakistan or Qatar later this week, although both countries remained engaged in efforts to reduce regional tensions.
