U.S.-Iran Latest: Tehran says diplomacy continues amid ongoing attacks over control of Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s embassy in the U.K. said Monday that the Islamic Republic had “established a temporary safe & secure maritime corridor, free of technical & military barriers” through the Strait of Hormuz, indicating a reopening of the crucial shipping lanes from Tehran’s perspective, and a possible easing of its demand for shippers to request safe passage.
The Iranian embassy said in a post on social media that it had implemented the route, “in compliance with” the memorandum of understanding signed with the U.S., and that it had notified the United Nations International Maritime Organization of the change.
In its statement, the embassy accused the U.S. of having “done nothing but violate the MoU since day one,” specifically by “pushing vessels toward a dangerous southern parallel route” through the strait, close to Oman’s coast, that it called “not only legally questionable but also unsafe, unreliable, and prone to accidents.”
Iran attacked several ships attempting to use that southern route last week, and on Saturday it also struck a container vessel near the western entrance to the strait, prompting the U.S. to launch multiple rounds of airstrikes on Iranian targets.
Iran has long argued that the vaguely worded MoU signed in mid-June with the U.S. gave it the right to control shipping through the strait, and it balked at the U.S. government and military’s calls for ships to use the southern route close to Oman, which President Trump has insisted is open.
“U.S. military aggression, including attacks on Iran’s port & tower infrastructure, has turned the Strait of Hormuz into a tense, high-risk zone for maritime traffic,” the Iranian embassy in London said Monday, adding a jab that appeared to be directed at Oman: “Those who enabled this perilous situation must reconsider their stance, if they truly seek safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Security is a two-way street.”
