Iran says ships belonging to “enemy countries” are still unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported. Moreover, according to reports, Iran received a draft of the initial, unofficial assumptions of the agreement with the US. It assumes that Iran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month.
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that ships belonging to “enemy countries” are prohibited from passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” IRIB reported, adding that Tehran will continue “cooperation” with countries that respect the “Iranian order.”
Despite optimism that the proposed U.S.-Iran deal could increase the flow of goods through the strait, Tehran still appears to want to maintain a greater degree of control over the waterway than before the conflict, CNN writes.
IRIB said today that more ships were expected to pass through the strait in the “coming hours”. The IRGC claimed late Tuesday that 25 ships had passed through the strait in the past 24 hours.
However, ship tracking services could not confirm this number, partly because vessels passing through the strait invariably turn off AIS transponders that show their location.
Iran-US agreement
Iran has received a draft of the initial, unofficial assumptions of the agreement with the US, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday. It assumes that Within a month, Iran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels, and the US would withdraw its forces from the area around Iran and lift the naval blockade.
As Iranian television pointed out, the draft agreement did not include warships, but management of the flow through the Strait of Hormuz would be managed by Iran in cooperation with Oman. She also added that if a final agreement is reached within 60 days, it will be approved by the UN Security Council in the form of a binding resolution.
Iran-US negotiations
US President Donald Trump is expected to convene a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, which will bring together his most senior officials.
Diplomats familiar with the U.S.-Iran negotiations still don't know when — or even where — the expected memorandum of understanding (MOU) that appeared largely agreed between the warring states on Saturday (or so Donald Trump claimed) will be signed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiations would require “several days” to resolve “disputes”.
Global and regional economic pressure to end the war, sign a memorandum of understanding and allow diplomacy to resolve difficult issues is growing.
Source: CNN, PAP
