Qatar seeks deal with Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Illustrative photo: Qatar seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (Getty Images)
Qatar held talks with Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran agreed to draft a list of conditions to restore normal shipping traffic, according to Reuters.
Qatar seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
During the talks, the Qatari envoy pressed the Iranians to respect freedom of navigation, the outlet reports.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with senior Iranian leaders in Tehran on August 27. The main topic was the importance of returning to the pre-war status of open navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the talks with Qatar "creative." He also reiterated his appeal to the US, urging Washington to end military and economic pressure on his country and resume negotiations.
Later, Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning new US economic sanctions against the country. It also urged other countries not to join the sanctions. According to Araghchi, doing so would amount to complicity in imposing the illegal will of one state on others.
Iran adopts a plan
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran is preparing a list of conditions for reopening the strait.
He said Iran has reached an agreement with Oman on a shipping corridor through the strait:
- Part of the route will pass through Omani waters,
- Part will pass through Iranian waters.
According to him, ships will use a designated central channel if the US meets Iran's conditions.
In the past, Iran's conditions included:
- An end to the US blockade of Iranian ports,
- Compensation and the lifting of sanctions.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that the Strait of Hormuz is likely still mined by Iran, and that US President Donald Trump's claims that it had been fully cleared do not reflect reality.
It was also reported that Iran and Oman discussed creating a temporary joint shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. The countries are also considering a mine-clearing mission for the key oil export corridor.
In addition, US President Donald Trump said he considers the Strait of Hormuz to be US territory. According to him, Washington controls the entire region.
