Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a television interview on Sunday that “under no circumstances” will the Strait of Hormuz return to its pre-war situation, regardless of ongoing talks with Oman, according to a readout published by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz were in their “final stages,” but Baqaei said that did not mean that the strategic waterway would be fully reopened as it was before the U.S. and Israel launched their military campaign in February.
“We must ensure that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be misused by parties that have committed aggression against Iran. This requires a mechanism in which Iran’s sovereign rights are fully respected,” Baqaei said, as quoted by IRNA.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 31, 2026.
Stringer/Reuters
Baqaei said the resumption of fighting in the region had disrupted plans to secure commercial shipping as outlined in the memorandum of understanding signed with the U.S. in June.
“During the first 22 or 23 days of implementing the agreement, the northern route of the Strait was completely secure and ships were passing through it. However, before the end of the 30-day period envisioned for restoring maritime traffic to pre-war conditions, an act of aggression against Iran took place,” he said.
After the war disrupted the existing maritime traffic separation scheme in the Strait, ships transiting the area have used either the northern route, which sits along the Iranian coastline, or the southern route along the Omani coastline. Baqaei said that talks with Oman are intended to establish a new route.
Meanwhile, Baqaei said that Tehran will not be pressured by external threats. “Any assumption that threats and media pressure can make Iran retreat from its principled positions is inconsistent with past experience. We will continue to act based on what serves the country’s interests,” he said.
