Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Garibabadi, has warned that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed without coordination with Tehran, as tensions persist over control of one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed by ambiguous agreements, parallel routes or decisions taken without taking Iran, as a coastal state, into account,” Garibabadi wrote on social media platform X on 26 June.
He added that “any reliable framework must be based on coordination with Iran and the provisions of Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding”, warning that otherwise “a certain alternative route will be suspended”.
Article 5 of the 17 June framework agreement between Tehran and Washington calls on Iran and Oman to discuss the future management and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in consultation with other Gulf coastal states.
Tehran maintains that this requires coordination with Iran before any alternative shipping arrangements are put in place.
Garibabadi’s comments came after Oman announced on 24 June a temporary shipping route through the Strait in coordination with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN’s maritime agency.
On 25 June, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that safe passage would only be possible via routes approved by Tehran.