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Iran and the United States on Friday have established a "communication line" in the Strait of Hormuz to prevent incidents that could escalate into military confrontation and to facilitate the implementation of provisions under the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries, Iranian state media Press TV reported.
According to the final statement of talks held between the two sides in Switzerland and issued by the two mediators, Qatar and Pakistan, the communication channel was created to help manage potential incidents in the strategic waterway. "In order to prevent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz that might lead to military confrontation and to implement the provisions of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a communication line has been established between the two sides," Press TV reported. However, Iran also emphasised that, under the agreement, all vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz must follow routes announced by Tehran. "Any passage through the strait must be conducted via the routes announced by Iran," the report said. The development comes after the conclusion of the initial round of technical talks as part of the MoU aimed at ending the hostilities in West Asia between the US and Iran in Switzerland, with both sides agreeing to establish a High-Level Committee and a roadmap towards a final agreement within 60 days. According to the joint statement issued by Qatar and Pakistan following the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland's Burgenstock, the parties had agreed to establish a direct communication line during the 60-day negotiation period. "In addition, a communication line between the parties has been formed for the period mentioned in paragraph 5 of the MoU to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz," the statement read. On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation in Switzerland, stated that the US and Iran had agreed to set up a direct deconfliction channel with military representatives from both countries, with the arrangement involving representatives from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the US Army's Central Command (CENTCOM) being stationed in Doha, Qatar. (ANI)
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