Tehran: Iran's Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said the Strait of Hormuz will "never return" to its pre-war status. In an Interview with Al Jazeera, he added that Tehran and Oman have reached an understanding on overseeing the Hormuz.
He clarified that the understanding with Oman was part of Iran's seven-point proposal to the United States to end the eight-month conflict.
Rejecting the prospect of unrestricted international access to the strait, Ghalibaf argued that regulations governing the waterway fell under the jurisdiction of the countries bordering it.
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"There are no 'free waters' [international waters] there, and the 1982 [UN Convention on the Law of the Sea] does not apply to the strait. The regulations within the Strait of Hormuz are governed by the laws of the two littoral states that border it," he told Al Jazeera.
Qatar is acting as the mediator between Tehran and Washington. He said that Iran had conveyed its response to Washington through Qatar.
Tehran had outlined seven conditions for entering peace negotiations, including lifting the US naval blockade and sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian funds, ending hostilities on all fronts, and formally declaring the war over, according to Ghalibaf
He said the demands were part of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed in June and that their implementation was necessary before negotiations could resume. Ghalibaf also identified a lack of trust between Tehran and Washington as the principal obstacle to an agreement, while warning that the US would face another defeat if it launched fresh military action against Iran.
The war began with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.
Pakistan to support regional peace
While Qatar is currently facilitating communication between Tehran and Washington, Pakistan has also continued its diplomatic efforts to help resolve the conflict.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian agreed on Wednesday to work closely in support of regional peace and security during a meeting on the sidelines of the COP31 Leaders' Summit in Antalya, Turkiye, according to state media.
The two leaders reaffirmed the longstanding ties between their countries and discussed the evolving regional situation, Radio Pakistan reported.
Sharif expressed concern over the prolonged conflict and stressed the need for dialogue, restraint, de-escalation and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting regional stability. He also highlighted the importance of building on the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and reaffirmed Pakistan's readiness to continue supporting diplomatic efforts.
The MoU, signed by the US and Iran on June 17, envisaged an end to military operations, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. It also provided for negotiations towards a comprehensive agreement, including on Iran's nuclear programme.
However, the arrangement unravelled within weeks amid disagreements over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and the US naval blockade. Differences over Iran's nuclear programme also remained unresolved, while the 60-day window for negotiations expired without a final agreement.
Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan's diplomatic support and efforts towards regional peace and security. Both leaders stressed the importance of regular consultations and close coordination to address common challenges.
The diplomatic exchanges come as Tehran maintains that any resumption of negotiations with Washington depends on the fulfilment of its conditions, while insisting that the post-war arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz will differ from those in place before the conflict.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)
