An agreement between Iran and Oman on a new mechanism to govern shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would not necessarily mean the reopening of the key waterway, Tehran said on Saturday.
Before the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened, the US needs to meet Iran’s demands, a spokesman for the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He called on Washington to keep out of the negotiations with Oman.
Iran and Oman, both of which border the Strait of Hormuz, have been negotiating for weeks on how to regulate the passage of ships through the waterway, which was responsible for about a fifth of global oil trade before the US and Israel began attacking Iran in late February.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Washington is involved in the talks.
Should they result in a mechanism that allows Iran to exercise significant control over shipping in the Strait, this would represent a strategic victory for Tehran following months of US attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat were close to striking an agreement.
The opening of the Strait of Hormuz depends, to some extent, on the US making amends for breaches of the framework agreement concluded in June, which was intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, the minister was quoted as saying by Tasnim, without providing further details.
Araghchi said that the approach being negotiated with Oman was intended to establish a new, temporary route through the Strait.