TEHRAN/MUSCAT, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Iran and Oman are "very close" to an agreement on the designation of a temporary route for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the official news agency IRNA.
He said that negotiations have been held between the two countries' military and naval forces based on available maps. Following the talks' conclusion, the new route will be designated, he said in an address to reporters.
He added the strait's reopening, however, hinges on other conditions, including compensation by the United States for its violations of a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington in June.
Araghchi said Iran no longer considers the previous traffic separation scheme (TSS) or route in the strait acceptable for vessel traffic, emphasizing the need to designate a new TSS, "which involves extensive technical and legal complexities."
He added given the technical and legal complexities, the two countries are currently negotiating on a temporary route, which would serve as the basis for the main permanent route to be designated later.
On the same day, Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that ongoing negotiations over arrangements concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding in a "positive and constructive atmosphere," while condemning repeated attacks on vessels transiting the waterway.
Earlier on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it had received a report of a vessel being struck about 18 nautical miles off Khasab, Oman.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said one of the vessels belonging to UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was targeted by a missile while transiting the strait early Saturday.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
In June, Iran and the United States signed the MoU on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. The two sides were scheduled to hold negotiations within a 60-day period to reach a final agreement, but recent escalation in the region has left the talks' fate uncertain.■
