Play store
Iran is preparing a list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz as regional mediators step up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and restore maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran was finalising its demands and that the United States would need to take practical steps to meet them before normal navigation could resume.
Rezaee said ending the regional war was among Iran’s key conditions. Reuters reported that Tehran is also seeking the lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports, compensation and the removal of economic sanctions.
The development came after Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani visited Tehran on Thursday as part of efforts to reduce regional tensions and revive diplomatic engagement.
During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Rezaee. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the talks focused on regional developments, de-escalation and efforts to create conditions for renewed dialogue.
Talks between Sheikh Mohammed and Araghchi also covered a proposed interim arrangement for a temporary joint shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and a joint project to clear mines from the waterway, according to Qatar.
Sheikh Mohammed called for respect for the sovereignty of neighbouring states and freedom of navigation, while urging continued diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue.
Iran and Oman have separately been discussing arrangements for a temporary shipping corridor through their territorial waters as mediators seek to restore maritime traffic and build momentum for broader US-Iran diplomacy.
Washington, however, has downplayed the Iran-Oman discussions. A US government source told Al Jazeera that the arrangements did not involve the United States, while maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz remained open, mines had been cleared, no talks with Iran were scheduled and the US naval blockade remained in place.
