Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations with Oman on creating new shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz are in the final stages.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran, Araghchi added that the agreement does not mean that the strait, which is vital for global oil and natural gas supplies, will automatically reopen.
"An agreement on shipping lanes can be reached, but the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on the fulfillment of a specific set of conditions, and these conditions are being conveyed through intermediaries," he said.
Araghchi also said the United States should stop "violating" a memorandum of understanding signed in June, which aimed to end weeks of fighting and allow for the reopening of the strait, among other things.
On Saturday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council declared that the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States "corrects its behavior," presenting new demands that could change the course of negotiations for an agreement to manage the waterway.
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Iran presents strict demands for reopening of Strait of Hormuz
The United States should never threaten Iran again, the statement said, and Washington should permanently end war with Iran and its armed allies in the region.
The US must lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its military forces from the area. It must also “fully compensate” Iran for the damages caused by the war, lift sanctions, and “unconditionally release” frozen assets, are other Iranian demands.
