Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that the U.S. must adhere to its “commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” before Tehran would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
The U.S. and Iran signed the Pakistani-mediated memorandum in June after weeks of backchannel diplomacy. The agreement mandated a temporary ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and at least 60 days of direct negotiations between the two countries.
The memorandum was considered defunct by all sides before its expiration last month amid renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran.
Mr. Araghchi said a high-level meeting in Oman on Monday between Iran and several Persian Gulf nations would focus on new commercial shipping lanes through the strait.
Oman and Iran are the two primary states bordering the Strait of Hormuz and will present the details of a proposed system to the Gulf states. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq are expected to attend the briefing.
Mr. Araghchi said Tehran believes the responsibility for ensuring regional security and stability in the Gulf belongs to the countries of the region.
“We hope these talks will pave the way for future consultations on issues of concern to the countries of the region,” he said, according to the state-run Press TV network.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Friday that Iran and Oman have engaged in direct negotiations for nearly three months about safe navigation through the strait.
He described the Iran-Oman initiative as an important step toward building trust and cooperation among regional countries and “strengthening common regional security away from external interference.”
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