TEHRAN, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat will soon present their agreement to the relevant international body on designating safe routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
He made the remarks in an interview with the official news agency IRNA, published Wednesday night, while elaborating on diplomatic efforts related to peace and security in West Asia, including commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
"The consultation process between Iran and Oman has proceeded successfully. The two sides have agreed on the geographical coordinates of the safe two-way routes in the Strait of Hormuz and reached an understanding on how the matter will be presented to the relevant international body, a step that will be taken soon," Baghaei said.
He said Iran attaches great importance to shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupted following "malicious actions" by the United States, and has spared no effort to restore security to the waterway through consultations with the other coastal state, Oman.
Last month, the semi-official Tasnim news agency cited a source close to Iran's negotiating team as saying that Tehran and Muscat had agreed on the details of new entry and exit routes for the Strait of Hormuz after "intensive technical and diplomatic talks."
Under the understanding between the two sides, the Gulf's entry route "lies entirely within Iran's territorial waters," and a portion of the exit route also falls "within Iranian territorial waters." ■
