Iran Says Oman Deal On Strait Of Hormuz Near, But Reopening Hinges On US Concessions

I a
said
o
Satu day
that
it
was
close
to
eachi g
a
ag eeme t
with
Oma
o
a a geme ts
fo
shippi g
th ough
the
St ait
of
Ho muz,
but
st essed
that
such
a
deal
alo e
would
ot
be
e ough
to
fully
eope
the
c ucial
wate way.

The
developme t
comes
as
the
U ited
A ab
Emi ates
epo ted
that
I a
had
st uck
a othe
vessel
i
the
st ait,
addi g
to
g owi g
co ce s
ove
the
safety
of
o e
of
the
wo ld’s
most
impo ta t
e e gy
outes.

I a -Oma
Talks
Key
To
St ait
Reope i g

A
ag eeme t
betwee
I a
a d
Oma
ove
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
is
see
as
c ucial
to
a
b oade
effo t
to
e d
the
wa
that
bega
with
US
a d
Is aeli
attacks
o
I a
o
Feb ua y
28
a d
led
Teh a
to
establish
a
chokehold
ove
the
majo
e e gy
expo t
oute.

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A
US
official,
speaki g
o
co ditio
of
a o ymity,
said
o
F iday
that
Washi gto
expected
I a
a d
Oma ,
which
sit
o
eithe
side
of
the
st ait,
to
each
a
ag eeme t
soo
that
could
allow
o mal
oil
t affic
to
esume.

I a ia
Fo eig
Mi iste
Abbas
A aqchi
said
Teh a
a d
Muscat
we e
“ve y
close”
to
a
ag eeme t
o
a
ew
shippi g
oute
th ough
the
st ait.
Howeve ,
he
said
eope i g
the
wate way
would
depe d
o
othe
co ditio s,
i cludi g
compe satio
f om
the
U ited
States
to
I a .

Mohammad
Baqe
Zolqad ,
sec eta y
of
I a ‘s
top
atio al
secu ity
body,
listed
additio al
dema ds,
i cludi g
a
e d
to
US
th eats
agai st
I a ,
a
halt
to
agg essio
agai st
I a
a d
its
allies
i
Leba o ,
Palesti e,
Yeme
a d
I aq,
the
lifti g
of
the
blockade
a d
sa ctio s
o
I a ,
a d
the
elease
of
I a ia
assets.

Oma
Calls
Talks
‘Positive
A d
Co st uctive’

Oma
co dem ed
what
it
desc ibed
as
epeated
attacks
o
vessels
t a siti g
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
but
did
ot
assig
blame
fo
the
i cide ts.

The
Oma i
Fo eig
Mi ist y
said
egotiatio s
with
I a
o
a a geme ts
fo
shippi g
th ough
the
wate way
had
bee
“positive
a d
co st uctive”.

“Oma
st esses
the
impo ta ce
of
avoidi g
a y
actio s
that
could
affect
these
egotiatio s
a d
the
p og ess
achieved
i
a
ma e
that
takes
i to
accou t
the
i te ests
of
all
pa ties,”
the
mi ist y
said.

A aqchi
said
the
p evious
t affic
sepa atio
scheme
th ough
the
st ait
was
o
lo ge
acceptable
to
Teh a .
He
said
I a
was
discussi g
a
tempo a y
shippi g
oute
with
Oma
while
tech ical
a d
legal
issues
su ou di g
a
pe ma e t
oute
we e
esolved.

I a ia
P eside t
Masoud
Pezeshkia
said
he
believed
the
timi g
was
favou able
fo
a
ag eeme t.

“The e
is
cohesio ,
st e gth,
a d
u ity
i
the
cou t y,
a d
as
fa
as
I
k ow,
I a
is
co side ed
victo ious
a d
powe ful
i
this
wa ,”
I a ia
ews
age cies
quoted
him
as
sayi g.

UAE
Repo ts
A othe
Ship
Attack

I a
has
espo ded
to
US
attacks
by
ta geti g
Ame ica
bases
i
Gulf
states
a d
Jo da ,
while
also
st iki g
shippi g
i
the
a ow
St ait
of
Ho muz,
th ough
which
oughly
a
fifth
of
the
wo ld’s
oil
a d
gas
shipme ts
passed
befo e
the
wa .

The
UAE
said
o
Satu day
that
I a
had
attacked
a
ca ie
affiliated
with
its
state
oil
compa y
with
a
missile
while
it
was
t a siti g
the
St ait
of
Ho muz.
No
i ju ies
we e
epo ted.

[embedded co te t]

The
UK
Ma itime
T ade
Ope atio s
(UKMTO)
said
a
vessel
had
caught
fi e
afte
bei g
hit
by
a
u k ow
p ojectile.
The
fi e
was
late
exti guished,
a d
the e
was
o
epo ted
e vi o me tal
impact.

I a ia
autho ities
did
ot
immediately
comme t
o
the
i cide t.

US
Sig als
Possible
Deal,
I a
Sticks
To
Co ditio s

I
ece t
weeks,
the
T ump
admi ist atio
has
epeatedly
i dicated
that
a
ag eeme t
to
eope
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
could
be
close,
o ly
fo
I a
to
de y
that
talks
we e
u de
way.

It
emai ed
u clea
whethe
the
latest
egotiatio s
would
p oduce
a
lasti g
a a geme t.

“O ce
the
deal
is
a ou ced
to
esto e
comme cial
shippi g
without
impedime ts,
the
U ited
States
will
lift
the
blockade
of
I a ia
po ts,”
the
US
official
told
Reute s
o
F iday.

The
official
said
US
actio s
would
be
li ked
to
I a ‘s
impleme tatio
of
its
commitme ts.

I a ‘s
Islamic
Revolutio a y
Gua d
Co ps,
which
has
ta geted
ships
i
the
st ait,
also
said
o
Satu day
that
eope i g
the
wate way
depe ded
o
Washi gto
accepti g
Teh a ‘s
co ditio s
a d
was
ot
li ked
to
the
I a -Oma
egotiatio s.

“Whe eve
the
U ited
States
accepts
I a ‘s
co ditio s,
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
will
ce tai ly
be
eope ed,”
IRGC
spokespe so
Hossei
Mohebbi
said,
acco di g
to
I a ‘s
Tas im
ews
age cy.

P oposed
Deal
Could
Give
I a
Co t ol
Ove
Shippi g

Sou ces
told
Reute s
ea lie
this
week
that
a
p oposed
ag eeme t
betwee
I a
a d
Oma
aimed
at
e di g
the
five-mo th
wa
could
give
Teh a
co t ol
ove
ships
e te i g
the
Gulf
th ough
the
st ait.

A
se io
I a ia
sou ce
a d
two
egio al
officials
said
the
p oposal
would
ep ese t
o e
of
the
biggest
co cessio s
to
I a
so
fa .

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