Iran ready to resist pressure as Hormuz talks near crucial stage, FM Abbas Araghchi

TEHRAN: Iran is prepared to continue resisting mounting pressure, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as Tehran and Oman move closer to an agreement on managing navigation through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi said Iran would not forget what it described as the unjust bloodshed of its martyrs and would not forgive those responsible. His remarks come amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington and uncertainty over the future of negotiations.

The Iranian foreign minister also warned that talks with the United States would not resume if Washington continued to violate the memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

According to Araghchi, Iran and the United States are currently not engaged in direct negotiations. However, messages are being exchanged through intermediaries, keeping a narrow diplomatic channel open despite the broader standoff.

The most immediate development concerns the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for international energy shipments. Araghchi said negotiations between Iran and Oman over a new arrangement for maritime traffic were in their final stages.

He stressed, however, that reaching an agreement with Oman would not automatically mean the strait would be fully reopened. Instead, the proposed arrangement would establish new maritime routes between Iran and Oman.

The two countries have previously agreed to work together on future navigation management, shipping services and related arrangements while emphasizing safe passage and their sovereign rights over their territorial waters.

The issue has become a major point of contention in wider diplomatic efforts, with Tehran insisting that US actions under the memorandum must be addressed before normal negotiations can resume.

For now, the emerging Iran-Oman arrangement could offer a potential pathway for maritime traffic, but significant political hurdles remain. With Tehran maintaining its tough stance toward Washington, the next stage of diplomacy could determine whether the strategic waterway moves toward greater stability or remains at the center of regional tensions.