Iran: No foreign country allowed to demine Hormuz Strait

Kazem Gharibabadi, a member of the Iranian negotiating team in talks to end the war on Iran, stated in an interview with national Iranian TV aired on Monday evening that no country other than Iran will be allowed to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that the situation in the strait will not return to pre-war conditions, and that Iran and Oman share views on the need for charging services to shipping in the strait.

Gharibabadi also said that talks to designate authorized shipping routes will be held, noting that Iran and Oman had already agreed on designating routes in 1968, well before the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. He stressed that only Iran will designate the routes and that no other state will be permitted to intervene in demining operations.

At the end of the interview, he declared that any breaches of the Pakistani Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States will result in Iran's reaction. According to Mehr News, Gharibabadi's remarks underscore Iran's firm stance on its sovereign rights in the strategic waterway.