Tehran, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would depend on the United States addressing what Tehran describes as violations of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Araghchi made the remarks on the sidelines of a press conference addressed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
He said Iran and Oman were continuing negotiations on the legal framework and management of navigation through the strategic waterway, including the designation of transit routes, and were close to reaching an agreement.
However, Araghchi said reopening the Strait would also require the US to “make amends for its violations” of the MoU.
He said a previously used Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), or designated shipping route, was no longer acceptable to Iran and that a new arrangement would need to be considered. According to him, establishing a new TSS involved significant technical and legal complexities.
Araghchi also accused the US of violating the MoU and said the alleged violations needed to be addressed.
He said Clause 5 of the MoU had been implemented by Iran with the expectation that maritime traffic would return to normal within a month. According to Araghchi, traffic had reached 60 per cent of normal levels within two weeks, but he alleged that the US subsequently sought to establish new routes through the Strait and undermine Iran’s management of the waterway.
The comments came after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Wednesday that Iran and Oman had reached an understanding on a navigation route for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Baqaei had also said that a joint statement by the two countries was in the final stages.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key global shipping route and a major transit point for energy supplies.