Gharibabadi: Iran Held No Talks with the United States in Oman - WANA
WANA (Jul 14) –Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs has dismissed claims by several U. S. officials, including Donald Trump, that Tehran and Washington held negotiations in Oman,. . .
WANA (Jul 14) –Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs has dismissed claims by several U. S. officials, including Donald Trump, that Tehran and Washington held negotiations in Oman, stressing that no discussions took place between the two sides and that the Iranian delegation met only with Omani officials. Kazem Gharibabadi said during a televised interview that the recent visit by Iran’s foreign minister and his accompanying delegation to Oman involved talks exclusively with Omani authorities. “We had no negotiations or discussions with the United States,” he said. Referring to recent discussions in Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Gharibabadi said Iran entered the talks with “clear and principled positions” and emphasized that no agreement was reached. According to him, the purpose of the visit was to present Tehran’s views on the security and management of the strategic waterway. The deputy foreign minister also addressed the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying that no negotiations with the United States have taken place under the framework of the agreement since it was signed. He argued that Washington had violated the memorandum’s first provision by failing to halt Israeli military operations in Lebanon, adding that Iran considers full implementation of the agreement’s commitments a prerequisite for any future talks. Commenting on developments in the Strait of Hormuz, Gharibabadi stressed that Iran has no intention of undermining Oman’s sovereignty and described bilateral relations as strategic and friendly. However, he reiterated that Tehran would not allow the waterway to become a platform for threats against Iran’s national security and maintained that exercising effective sovereignty over the Strait is Iran’s legitimate right. He further stated that, under the fifth clause of the Islamabad memorandum, Iran is responsible for ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels and conducting mine-clearing operations in the Strait. He said Iranian authorities had recently established a new shipping route for commercial traffic and had notified Oman, regional countries, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the arrangement. Gharibabadi claimed that the opening of a southern shipping route by Oman disrupted the framework of the memorandum and contributed to the recent tensions. He further alleged that the United States had pressured relevant parties to keep the southern route operational. Rejecting media reports about the Iranian delegation’s mission to Oman, Gharibabadi said the visit was not intended to negotiate with Washington or issue a joint statement on the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he said, its primary objective was to explain Iran’s position, prevent tensions with Oman, and propose measures to reduce friction in the strategically important waterway. Concluding his remarks, Gharibabadi said that following recent regional developments, the Strait of Hormuz has become an integral part of Iran’s national security. While reaffirming Iran’s commitment to maintaining friendly relations with Oman, he stressed that the Islamic Republic would continue to assert what it describes as its effective sovereignty over the Strait and use its available capacities to safeguard the country’s national interests and security.