Iran and Oman have agreed the terms of new entry and exit routes through the Strait of Hormuz and will propose the deal during a regional meeting in Muscat on Monday.
A source close to Iran’s negotiating team told Tasnim news agency that the agreement was the result of technical and diplomatic talks which were in a final stage in late August.
According to the proposed plan, the path of the ships coming to the Gulf would be only in Iranian territorial waters. A portion of the exit path would also go through Iranian waters.
The Iranian source added that the new routes will be run by Iran and once the new system comes into force, the southern route through the waterway will be closed. The USA has been lobbying for the southern route to be reopened.
Iran emphasized that the deal with Oman is not to open again the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has set seven conditions for the resumption of passage and indicated that the waterway will stay shut until these conditions are met.
The Muscat meeting will gather Iran, Iraq and Gulf states to discuss regional matters, which will include the outcomes of the discussions between Iran and Oman on safe passage for commercial ships, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Iran and Oman, two countries bordering the strategic waterway, have held the consultations on the arrangements for the passage of ships, said Baghaei. The two countries had previously discussed a phased framework which includes a temporary joint shipping corridor.
Since Iran cut back on the movement in the Strait of Hormuz on February 28 after US-Israeli strikes, the strait has been severely disrupted. A naval blockade has also been put in place by the U.S. on ships heading to and coming from Iranian ports.
It is a waterway that links the Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is an important pathway for oil and gas transport.
