The Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, confirmed that Tehran will not fully open the Strait of Hormuz to navigation unless an understanding is reached with Washington.
Araqchi stated in an interview with "Iraqi News Channel," followed by the news agency, "Washington's commitment to the pledges of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is a prerequisite for moving to negotiations on other issues." He added, "The three rounds of negotiations with Washington ended with wars against Iran and proved that it is impossible to trust its pledges." He pointed out that "the seven-day initiative aims to keep the diplomatic door open on the condition of adhering to previous understandings," adding, "The U.S. is the one obstructing the diplomatic path and closing the doors to negotiations, not Tehran." Araqchi considered that "the implementation of Washington's previous commitments would allow the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the start of additional rounds of negotiations leading to a final agreement." He continued, "We will not fully open the Strait of Hormuz to navigation unless we reach an understanding with Washington. The continued absence of an agreement with Washington means keeping restrictions on ship movement in the Strait of Hormuz."
Araqchi addressed the economic repercussions of closing the Strait of Hormuz on Iraq, emphasizing that "Tehran is aware of the magnitude of the losses and economic burdens that Iraq incurs due to developments in the strait," noting that "the Iranian side has made efforts to mitigate these costs." He explained that "Iranian measures to reduce the losses incurred by Iraq included opening special routes for the passage of Iraqi ships through the Strait of Hormuz." He added that "the economic damages resulting from the crisis were not limited to Iran but extended to Iraq and the rest of the region, due to American and Israeli attacks and the resulting disruptions in navigation and trade." He continued that "the Iraqi people are aware of the nature of the challenges facing the region and the reasons that led to these losses," considering that "the American-Israeli war was the main reason behind the economic and security repercussions witnessed in the region during the past period." In discussing Iraqi-Iranian relations, Araqchi expressed his welcome regarding the withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi territory, praising "the resilience of the Iraqi people and the role of the Iraqi resistance in reaching this outcome." Meetings in Baghdad and Regional Files Araqchi confirmed that he conducted a series of meetings and consultations with Iraqi officials and foreign ministers participating in the conference held in Baghdad, addressing a number of regional files. Araqchi stated that "he met with several ministers participating in the conference and held consultations regarding developments in the Iranian nuclear file and issues of mutual interest." He added that "he discussed with Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein the developments related to the Yemeni issue and the regional situation."
Negotiations with Washington Araqchi said that "the negotiations with the American side are ongoing through intermediary countries, including Qatar and Pakistan, and we have presented an initiative extending for seven days, which includes opening the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day, provided that the American side accepts and adheres to the Iranian conditions." He added that "the American side informed us of its acceptance of the proposed conditions, but they presented additional conditions," clarifying that "the details related to these conditions cannot be disclosed at the present time," indicating that "the Iranian demands relate to security and economic files that have been discussed during previous negotiation rounds." He explained that "Iran's main demand is the commitment of the United States to all the pledges contained in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was previously signed," asserting that "after the implementation of those commitments, discussions can move to address other issues, leading to a final negotiation phase that allows both parties to raise all matters of interest and reach a comprehensive agreement about them." Seven-Day Initiative and Future of Negotiations In response to a question about the reasons for proposing the seven-day initiative, despite the Iranian discourse affirming a lack of trust in the United States, Araqchi said that "Iran has engaged in three rounds of negotiations with the American side, all of which ended with wars against it during the negotiating process, which proved to Tehran that it is impossible to trust American pledges." He added that "the third round saw understandings with President Donald Trump, but the American side only adhered to them for two weeks before retreating," pointing out that "these experiences strengthened the Iranian conviction of the lack of trust in dealing with Washington."
He continued that "the proposal of the seven-day initiative came to keep the diplomatic door open and to emphasize that Iran does not reject negotiations in principle, but conditions that the other party adheres to the understandings reached previously." He affirmed that "the doors of diplomacy are open, and the negotiating table is available, and the world must realize that it is the American side that obstructs the diplomatic path and closes its doors, not Iran." He pointed out that "if Washington is serious about reaching a settlement, it must fulfill the conditions and commitments it previously agreed to, and then the Strait of Hormuz can be opened, and additional rounds of negotiations can begin, leading to a final agreement." Regarding the recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz, Araqchi confirmed that "the Iranian position on the strait is clear and ثابت, which consists of not fully opening it to navigation unless an understanding is reached with the American side." He explained that "Iran declared from the beginning that the opening of the strait is linked to Washington's acceptance of the Iranian conditions, and that the continued absence of an agreement means keeping the restrictions imposed on ships' movement." In response to a question about the return of escalation and targeting ships in recent days, after a period marked by a decrease in tension and the return of a significant part of oil transport, he said that "the Iranian position has not changed, and the Strait of Hormuz is still closed, and any ship attempting to cross this waterway will face significant security problems." He added that "the fundamental question should be directed to America regarding allowing ships to navigate in a waterway facing security challenges due to the failure to reach an understanding about it." He noted that "America claims that the strait is open to navigation, while the reality indicates that ships face multiple problems when entering its waters."
Results of the War and American Pressures Araqchi stated that "America has not been able to achieve its objectives from the war against Iran, despite the passage of more than eight or nine months since it broke out," considering that "the failure to achieve those objectives represents a strategic defeat for Washington and a strategic success for Tehran." He added that "the American side finds itself in a deep quandary and is trying to extricate itself by various means, including military threats, imposing new economic sanctions, and pressuring countries neighboring Iran to limit their cooperation with Tehran." He pointed out that "these pressures have not achieved the results America is looking for and will not be able to compel Iran to surrender or abandon its positions." He emphasized that "Iran will not surrender under the weight of economic sanctions or military threats, and that the best way to address the disagreements is to return to the diplomatic path." Iranian-Omani Understandings Regarding Navigation Regarding the legal status of the Strait of Hormuz, Araqchi said that "the strait is located within the territorial waters of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, and there are no international waters in the sense that is often discussed." He added that "Tehran and Muscat recently reached an agreement regarding defining specific routes for ships' entry and exit through the strait, and a map of these routes has been prepared, with their geographical coordinates identified." He explained that "the routes agreed upon between Iran and Oman will be the ones used for ships' passage if an understanding is reached that allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz."
Regarding the international nature of the strait and navigation rights in it, Araqchi noted that "the history of the strait dates back to the era of the Hormuz authority after which it was named and that defining its geographical and legal status should be based on the laws and maritime boundaries adopted." He affirmed that "the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to navigation prior to the last war, and no fees were imposed on ships crossing from any party." He added that "the current situation in the strait resulted from the American and Israeli attacks on Iran, and that the ongoing restrictions on navigation are linked to the continued American position and the failure to reach an understanding that resolves the crisis." Registration of Hormuz Routes with the International Maritime Organization Regarding the reasons for not finalizing the announcement of the results of the negotiations with the Sultanate of Oman, Araqchi confirmed that "the Iranian side has previously announced that it has reached an agreement with the Omani side regarding regulating navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." He explained that "the map of the agreed navigation routes must be registered with the International Maritime Organization, in preparation for its official announcement and endorsement in accordance with the adopted procedures." He pointed out that "the Iranian-Omani talks resulted in the final determination of entry and exit routes through the strait, including the maps and geographical coordinates related to them." He emphasized that "the technical steps related to regulating navigation have been completed in cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman, but the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz remains contingent on reaching a political understanding between Iran and America." He added that "Tehran and Muscat have prepared the necessary requirements for regulating ship movement, while the implementation of the arrangements for reopening the strait depends on the results of the understandings with Washington."
Developments in the Red Sea and Yemen Regarding tensions in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Araqchi denied that Iran is a direct party to the ongoing developments there, emphasizing that "the events in the Red Sea are linked to their specific circumstances and causes, and are not related to Iran." He said that "the Yemeni people have been suffering for more than twelve years from an economic siege imposed by Saudi Arabia, and the recent developments in Bab el-Mandeb came within the framework of the efforts of the Ansar Allah to break that siege." He added that "the Ansar Allah see the current developments as an opportunity to pressure the Saudi side by imposing reciprocal restrictions on navigation through Bab el-Mandeb." He stressed that "the official Iranian position should be the basis for evaluating Tehran's policy towards regional developments, along with the field realities related to the Yemeni crisis."
The Foreign Minister explained that Iran has announced its readiness to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to end the conflict, but it has not yet received a response from either side. Araqchi stated that "Iran has expressed its willingness to bridge the viewpoints between Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah, but it has not received any response from either side regarding this initiative so far." He added that "the lack of a response from Ansar Allah to the Iranian initiative confirms the movement's independence in making its own decisions and that its positions are not linked to directives issued from Tehran." He explained that "Ansar Allah has specific conditions to end the state of conflict with Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi side has its own specific conditions and demands that the movement does not accept." He pointed out that "the role that Iran can play lies in providing the necessary assistance to bridge the viewpoints and finding common ground that allows both parties to reach an understanding that ends the crisis." He stressed that "resolving the Yemeni crisis requires addressing the root causes of the disagreement between the two parties, not merely relying on military actions or political pressures." Concerning the nature of the relationships linking Iran with Hezbollah and the Ansar Allah movement, Araqchi confirmed that "the two movements are not subordinate groups to Iran, but rather enjoy independence in making their own decisions." He added that "Hezbollah and Ansar Allah are friends of Iran, and Tehran supports their positions based on its conviction that they are moving to achieve goals that it considers legitimate and fair." He explained that "the existence of political relations and Iranian support for these two movements does not necessarily mean that they receive orders or instructions from Tehran." He emphasized that "Iran distinguishes between supporting movements that agree with it in political stances and direct intervention in their decisions or managing their movements."
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