Iran Says US Pressure Blocked Strait of Hormuz Shipping Agreement
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TEHRAN, July 13, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — Iran said talks in Oman aimed at establishing a new arrangement for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ended without an agreement, blaming pressure from the United States.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Monday that the weekend discussions focused exclusively on developing a mechanism to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the strategic waterway.
“Our effort was to reach a mechanism, in consultation with Oman, to ensure the safe passage of ships,” Baghaei said. He claimed that an agreement “was not achieved due to the overt and covert pressures of the United States on Oman.”
The comments followed a second consecutive night of US strikes across Iran and retaliatory Iranian attacks against US military facilities in several Gulf countries.
Baghaei warned that Iran would not comply with its obligations while Washington continued what Tehran considers violations of its commitments.
As a coastal state, Iran has “both the right and the responsibility to take the necessary measures to safeguard our security and national interests,” he said.
Baghaei also rejected US plans to escort commercial vessels, arguing that they demonstrated Washington’s intention to prolong regional instability.
Iran maintains that it has a role in managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has demanded unrestricted freedom of navigation and encouraged commercial shipping to follow a route closer to Oman’s coast.
Tensions intensified over the weekend after an Indian container ship was struck by a drone off Oman’s coast.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said a vessel traveling through an unapproved route in the strait was hit with a warning shot and stopped. The incident was followed by renewed US strikes on Saturday and Sunday nights.