The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, pointed out this Sunday that negotiations with Oman to finalize the status of the Strait of Hormuz have entered their "final phase" and reiterated that the United States plays "absolutely no" role in this process.
Tehran and Muscat have been maintaining a bilateral dialogue focused on outlining the definitive framework of the maritime passage they share for weeks. The dominance that Iran currently exercises over the strait, with its strong influence in the global oil market, constitutes its main strategic card in the standoff it maintains with Washington, which so far has only managed to establish a blockade in the perimeter.
At the same time that Araqchi was speaking about the decisive phase of the talks, the Iranian Foreign Ministry released a statement reiterating that "the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state under any circumstances," referring to the freedom of navigation prior to the start of the war.
However, the ministry's spokesman, Esmail Baqaei, emphasized that Iran continues to bet on the diplomatic route with Oman to reach a "mutual agreement" that "serves Iranian interests" and remains outside any U.S. pressure.
"The talks between Iran and Oman are bilateral and do not concern the other party," Baqaei stressed in statements to the state radio and television IRIB, insisting that there are no third parties involved at the table.
The spokesman also explained that the dialogue with Oman is framed within the guidelines of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the United States, which remains the only formal reference for these talks and establishes that the Omani authorities will only have a "consultative" role, according to their reading of Article 5 of the document. This provision literally states that Iran and Oman must "define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz."
In parallel, Iranian political leaders and military commanders have come out in recent hours to refute the latest message sent early in the morning by U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he suggested a supposed reopening of the strait.
The Iranian agency Tasnim, close to the Revolutionary Guard, has also rejected the message disseminated by Trump, in which he claimed to have decided to halt recent operations against Iran, supposedly at Tehran's request, with an eye on a possible reopening of the strategic passage.
According to the Iranian version, the head of diplomacy in Tehran conveyed this Saturday night to his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, that the situation in Hormuz remains unchanged and that the country is ready to respond to any offensive from the United States. This exchange with the Saudi minister was subsequently communicated by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to Trump himself during the phone conversation they had this Sunday.