![Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry [Xinhua]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/03/9/rcv.YNA.20260512.PXI20260512001201009_P1.jpg)
Iran said its consultations with Oman over management of the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington over the waterway.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with state television Sunday that the two sides would reach an agreement on a shipping route acceptable to both. "It will be neither the northern route nor the southern route, but a route that respects the sovereignty of both countries and safeguards Iran's national interests and security," he said.
Baghaei then cited a provision of the end-of-war MOU signed with the United States, saying that under Article 5 of the truce agreement, future management of the Strait of Hormuz must be carried out by Iran through consultations with Oman and dialogue with regional countries.
"Under no circumstances will the Strait of Hormuz ever return to its previous state," he said.
Baghaei also said that after implementation of the agreement began, the northern route through the strait remained fully secure for 22 to 23 days, with vessels passing through normally.
He then shifted blame for the recent armed conflict to the United States, saying Washington had committed "an act of aggression" against Iran before the 30-day deadline for fully normalizing maritime traffic to its prewar state had even expired.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said in a briefing just before a cabinet meeting that day that negotiations with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz had reached their final stage.
mokiya@heraldcorp.com
