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Tasnim news agency, citing an Iranian source, said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened under the Iranian-Omani understanding, pointing out that Iran and Oman have agreed on the details of new routes for entering and exiting the strait.
The source explained that the entry route, under the understanding, lies entirely within Iranian territorial waters, while part of the exit route also lies within Iranian territorial waters.
He added that the southern route will be closed despite the United States' insistence on reopening it, noting that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depends entirely on Washington's implementation of Tehran's conditions.
The source said that Iraq will also attend the Oman meeting scheduled for Monday, pointing out that the GCC countries will be briefed on the results of the Iranian-Omani negotiations and the decisions to be made at the Oman meeting.
In a related context, the Financial Times reported on Saturday that the United States has asked oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz to sail only at specific times to ensure military protection for them, after Iran stepped up its attacks on ships sailing at night.
Since May, Washington has been providing air protection for ships wishing to sail via a route passing along the coast of the Sultanate of Oman on the southern side of the strait.
The newspaper, citing emails sent by the US Maritime Coordination Center to maritime advisors, said that the period during which ships are protected has been reduced to two specific time periods daily since the beginning of September.
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