🔻Baqai: We are not holding talks with the United States at the moment

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic says that at present there are no talks underway between Iran and the United States.

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, after announcing the cancellation of the attack, said last night that new negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday.

Ismail Baqai said that Tehran is currently focused on its negotiations with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which have been ongoing for 8 days:

“Our effort is to, at the earliest opportunity, with consultation and cooperation with Oman, determine a route; a route that will presumably be temporary and with which we can ensure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The spokesman of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeated his remarks from last night, saying that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed due to attacks by the United States and Israel, and not because of a disagreement with Oman.

He said that an understanding with Oman does not mean the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened: “An agreement on the route of passage and on ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is a necessary condition for reopening this strait, but it is not a sufficient condition.”

Mr. Baqai had said last night, regarding the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz in Oman’s waters, that this route “has been accompanied by making the region unsafe and damaging Iran’s national interests, and Tehran does not accept it.”

He emphasized that the agreed route “will not be the current northern route or the current southern route, but rather a new route that the two sides will reach an understanding on.”

Yesterday, Israel’s Channel 12, citing two knowledgeable diplomats, reported that the route that Iran and Oman are currently agreeing on is a middle corridor, through which ships enter from the direction controlled by Iran and exit from the direction of Oman.