Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated during his weekly press conference that Tehran is not holding direct negotiations with the United States and that exchanges between the two sides continue through intermediary countries.

  Baghaei pointed out that progress toward any agreement with Washington is linked to the talks Iran is holding with the Sultanate of Oman on mechanisms to guarantee maritime transit in the strategic strait.

  Tehran and Muscat are holding consultations to establish navigation protocols and coordinate the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, as previously reported by Iranian authorities.

  The diplomat described these talks as constructive and positive and specified that, so far, the possibility of imposing tariffs on ships transiting the waterway has not been addressed.

  Iran maintains that the normalization of navigation depends not only on diplomatic efforts, but also on the lifting of the maritime blockade imposed by the United States and the cessation of threats against its territory.

  Iranian authorities consider the US restrictions on its ports and vessels illegal and assert that any safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz must be coordinated with its armed forces.

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