Iran's Position on Strait of Hormuz Unchanged, Says Foreign Minister Araghchi

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said there has been no shift in Tehran's stance on the Strait of Hormuz, as mediators press both Iran and the United States to reach an agreement that would end the fighting and reopen the waterway.

Speaking before leaving New York, Araghchi said Iran's conditions for reopening the strait are clear and that no flexibility had been discussed at this stage. He added that the only issue currently under discussion is the Strait of Hormuz, and that reopening it depends on the fulfilment of a set of conditions Iran has communicated to the other parties.

Regional officials say mediators are working with both sides on a proposal that would include reopening the strait, lifting the US blockade, and then removing sanctions. Two of those officials confirmed this week that the talks are continuing.

According to the draft text under discussion, the strait would reopen under a separate arrangement Iran has been negotiating with Oman, which lies on the other side of the waterway. That deal would involve no tolls — a point Tehran had pursued — and seeks to temporarily manage shipping traffic on what was regarded as an international waterway before the war.

The indirect talks come as the conflict enters its eighth month, inflicting global economic damage and heavily battering Iran. Several earlier attempts to allow safe shipping through one of the world's most critical waterways have failed.