Iran has proposed to Oman a temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under which one direction of traffic would pass through Iranian waters, and part of the opposite route would also be in Iranian waters, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television on Tuesday.
Two Middle Eastern diplomats said Tuesday that there had been progress in efforts to resolve the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, although no final agreement had been reached.
Gharibabadi said Tehran rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, saying such a plan did not address Tehran’s security concerns as long as long-term regional stability is not achieved.
Earlier, Oman presented a proposal to Iran for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz with shipping firms paying voluntary fees.
He said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed if Muscat rejected Iran’s proposal, adding that Tehran had never recognized the southern route along Oman’s coast.
The emerging proposal, the two diplomats said, focuses on a temporary solution establishing a central shipping route through the strait, running between Omani and Iranian territorial waters.
They stressed the proposal would be only a temporary arrangement.
Talks remained ongoing, the two diplomats said, adding that meaningful progress had been made.
This comes after US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington DC on Tuesday.
“It was a very positive meeting. You could see the chemistry between the leaders,” a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post.
Source:
www.jpost.com
