Iran has submitted a temporary plan to Oman aimed at restoring passage through the Strait of Hormuz by channeling navigational routes into waters under Iranian jurisdiction, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday.
According to Gharibabadi's account on state television, the proposed arrangement would see traffic in one direction traverse Iranian waters, while part of the traffic moving the other way would likewise pass through areas controlled by Iran. The plan is presented as temporary and focused on reopening the strait under terms Tehran deems acceptable.
Gharibabadi said Iran declined an Omani counterproposal that would have apportioned transit lanes equally between the two countries. He characterized the Omani draft as insufficient to resolve Tehran's security concerns, saying the Omani approach failed to incorporate measures tied to long-term regional stability.
Officials in Tehran have made clear that if Muscat does not accept the Iranian proposal, the strait will remain closed, Gharibabadi added. He also emphasized that Iran has never recognized what he described as the southern route that runs along Oman's coastline.
Summary of the proposal and Tehran's position:
- Proposal routes one-way traffic through Iranian waters and places part of the opposing lane in Iranian-controlled areas.
- Iran rejected an Omani suggestion for an equal split of transit routes, citing unresolved security concerns.
- Tehran has warned the strait will stay closed if Oman refuses its plan and reiterated non-recognition of the southern route along Oman's coast.
The statements provided by the deputy foreign minister outline the current diplomatic position but do not include specific operational details, timelines, or conditions for implementation. The plan is described as temporary, and Iranian officials framed acceptance by Muscat as the key determinant of whether the waterway reopens under Tehran's proposed routing.
No additional procedural steps, guarantees, or third-party monitoring measures were disclosed in the remarks attributed to Gharibabadi, leaving the broader modalities of the proposal unspecified in the public account.