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Iran and Oman are continuing talks to establish a mechanism for secure commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the discussions have been prolonged due to the complexity of the issue, the involvement of multiple actors and what it called "destructive efforts" by malicious parties.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the remarks during his weekly meeting, as reported by Iranian news agency ISNA, in response to a question on why the Iran-Oman talks had not yet concluded. "Keep in mind that insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz was imposed on us, on the region and on the entire world, and the reason for it was the illegal military action of the United States," Baghaei said, referring to the complexity of efforts to establish arrangements for the waterway. He said the talks were aimed at creating mechanisms that would ensure "both the sovereignty of the two coastal states and the safe passage of commercial ships in this waterway." Baghaei identified three factors behind the prolonged negotiations. "One factor is the complexity of the issue," he said, adding that the second factor was "the multiplicity of actors who are trying to be influential in this process." "The third and most important factor is the destructive efforts of some malicious parties who have shown that they never care about the peace and security of the region and want the region to always be in chaos," he said. "These three factors have caused this process to take some time, but if you consider all these things, the talks between Iran and Oman are continuing seriously," Baghaei said. On the text of a possible joint statement between Iran and Oman, Baghaei said the two sides were continuing to exchange views and had demonstrated their determination to develop a mechanism addressing their respective interests and concerns. "Both sides have shown that they are determined to work to develop a mechanism that will meet the interests of both sides and address concerns," he said. His recent statement follows his announcement that Tehran and Oman have finalised a joint shipping route map for the maritime corridor after weeks of technical negotiations. The ongoing talks stem from an Iran-US memorandum of understanding that tasked Tehran and Muscat with formulating a new navigation framework for the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasised that reopening the choke point remains strictly conditional on Washington fulfilling its obligations under the agreement. (ANI)
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