Istanbul (ANTARA) - Iran on Monday denied it is negotiating with the\nUnited States, stating that Tehran is working with Oman to open a\ntemporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said discussions\nwith Muscat were focused on efforts to guarantee the safety of shipping\ntraffic through the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur current discussions with Oman are focused on efforts to ensure\nsafe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d Baqaei said, as quoted by the\nsemi-official Fars news agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are striving to establish a temporary route as soon as possible\nthrough cooperation with Oman so that the safety of shipping in the\nStrait of Hormuz can be guaranteed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Baqaei also denied reports of negotiations between Tehran and\nWashington.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not negotiating with the United States,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The statement came a day after US President Donald Trump said talks\nwith Iran would begin on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
Trump said he was optimistic that an agreement on the Strait of\nHormuz and Iran\u2019s denuclearisation programme could soon be reached.<\/p>\n
However, Baqaei insisted that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz\nwould not change as long as the United States continued its aggressive\nactions and maintained its blockade against Iran.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world\u2019s most important energy\ntrade routes, serving as the main conduit for crude oil and natural gas\nshipments from the Gulf region to international markets.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/iran-denies-talks-with-us-discusses-hormuz-strait-with-oman-1785754601", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }