Iran claims that the Oman deal has reached its final stages, but US must take action to open Hormuz
Iran announced on Sunday that it was nearing the final stages of a deal to define new?shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. However, they reiterated that this strait will only be reopened once the United States meets?other requirements. An official from the United States said on Friday that an agreement between Iran, Oman and Israel was nearing completion and could soon be reopened. The strait used to carry a fifth of all global oil and LNG shipments until Iran closed it as a response to U.S. attacks and Israeli aggression. Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, said that an agreement between Iran and Oman was close to being signed. The strait which lies between these two countries is expected to be reopened soon. It carried a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before it was blocked by Iran in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Iran's Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying that the agreement would specify the new shipping routes to be used after the U.S. meets these conditions and the Strait is reopened.
Araqchi stated that Iran and the U.S. were not in talks, and Tehran would not start them as long Washington violates an interim agreement signed in June.
IRAN SEEKS U.S. IRAN SEEKS U.S.
In late February, the United States launched air strikes on Iran to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening the region with missiles. In June, it agreed to a ceasefire, but in July, reimposed the blockade on Iranian shipping in Gulf, which Tehran claimed was a breach of the truce.
The United States will lift their blockade on Iranian ports once the deal has been announced that allows commercial shipping to resume without hindrances. Unnamed official.
The official stated that U.S. action would be linked to Iran's commitments. The U.S. comments showed a delicate sequence towards a deal, which sources had said appeared to be about to give Tehran control over ships entering Gulf through the Strait. Shippers have stated that this is not an easy thing to do.
Iran's response indicated that other factors may also be at play.
Araqchi stated that reopening of the strait will depend on conditions, including U.S. compensation for Iran's widespread attacks.
Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr is the secretary of Iran's highest national security organ. He also mentioned ending U.S. threat against Iran, stopping aggressive action against Iran and its Lebanese allies and those in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq, lifting sanctions and a blockade on Iran, and freeing Iranian assets. The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday that Iran attacked a ship associated with its state oil company. Iran did not immediately comment.
HOUTHIS ATTACK SAUDI RENEWAL
The Houthis in Yemen have intensified their attacks on Iranian ships that are passing through the Strait of Hormuz. They have also targeted vessels at another oil chokepoint between the Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden, on the Arabian Peninsula.
Last month, the Houthis declared a blockade in the Red Sea against Saudi Arabia, in response to what was, according to them, a Saudi siege in Yemen. Riyadh denied this allegation, stating that it "backs Yemen's international recognised government". The Houthis claimed that they had attacked Saudi Aramco's Jazan Refinery on Sunday. This was two days after Riyadh signed a defense pact, with Sunni Muslim Allies Turkey and Pakistan to counter the growing instability in the region caused by the U.S./Israeli war against Shi'ite Iran.
Saudi Arabia's energy ministry stated that a fire broke out at the refinery, but it was extinguished later with no injuries. Authorities were investigating the incident without stating the cause.
Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson posted on X that the Houthis 'used a drone' to target refinery. The Houthis had already struck Aramco facilities in Jazan (which processes 400,000 barrels per day of crude oil in southwest Saudi Arabia) and Yanbu, on the Red Sea. Three sources within the Aden government claim that they also "carried out" strikes on Yemen's Red Sea port of Mocha.
There was no indication of how or if Pakistan and Turkey would respond to the recent attacks.
Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, said that the new alliance is not aimed at Iran or other countries but rather serves as a general pledge of support for security. He said that the allies would determine through consultations how much, what kind of, and in what format they would request support in case of an attack.
(source: Reuters)
