A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that talks with Oman on shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz were “separate” from discussions to fully reopen the waterway.
Iran said on Monday that any deal with Oman on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the waterway being fully reopened and that the route would remain closed until the United States agreed to demands including lifting a naval blockade.
The comments were the latest sign that Iran sees its grip on the strait — which has driven up global energy prices, creating a political headache for President Trump — as its best form of leverage in negotiations with Washington.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on Monday that the focus of the talks with Oman was “on reaching an understanding over a route for the safe passage of shipping,” Iranian state media reported.
The Oman talks were proceeding smoothly, Mr. Baghaei added, according to the reports, but “this issue is separate from the discussion of reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” which was “contingent upon the removal of the conditions that have been imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran” by the United States.
Mr. Baghaei’s comments echoed remarks by Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, who said on Saturday that Iran and Oman were “very close” to an agreement but that reopening it was “contingent on other conditions.”
The United States and Iran are not negotiating directly, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the talks between Iran and Oman were being conducted with American input.
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